STUDIO

L’eto is a made-to-order bridal atelier on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Gowns are cut and sewn here in small runs, in fine silks, organza and vintage Japanese lace. Nothing is made to a standard size and taken in afterwards; the pattern is made once, for one person, and the gown is fitted to the body that will wear it.

Every gown begins as a length of cloth and a set of measurements. Draping is worked on the body, seams are placed where they fall, and the run is kept small. Silk is sourced for the run rather than held in bulk, and the vintage Japanese lace is finite by definition, so a gown edged in it cannot be repeated indefinitely.

Alterations happen in the same room. A bride returns across the six months between order and collection, and the gown is adjusted against her rather than against a chart. This is slower than the industry standard and it is the reason the work holds. Gowns are made in Australia, by the people whose hands finish them.