This haute design is not your average evening gown

With lanky, elegant sleeves on a crisp-white bodice which has a loose kimono-like African-print belt in the mid-section, designer Jamil Walji’s haute couture dress stands out in the Kenyan market.

His haute designs are eccentric, dramatic yet they exude elegance and confidence, giving a woman the free-spirited allure on the red carpet or any other high level function.

Haute couture are high-end fashion designs, stitched by hand, that are mostly a one-off wear.

Instead of the standard patterns, the JW Couture designs ranges from bold necklines of ruffled collars, with large flappy sleeves and long trains, to long mermaid flowy dresses, some with button details and embellishments that are inspired by cultures and traditions that he experiences while travelling around the world.

Entire look

He can design an entire look, from the dress to accessories for a complete look.

“Coutures are mainly one-offs. I do not mass produce. Because they are made particularly for a client’s taste, and are mostly done by order,” says Mr Walji.

He says his clothes are different because he does not follow the same trends or repeat and no way does he allow a client to come with a picture of another design and ask him to stitch a replica.

He first meets a client, discusses what they want and he draws the design as the customer watches.

The next stage is sourcing a fabric and makes a test fit design of the dress. The client can try the test-fit and see if they like the silhouette, if there are any changes then final design is created.

“It starts with a drawing then I move over to pattern making, then test fit, if she is happy we then move on to final stitching. The stitching is the hardest part of the whole process because one needs accuracy, and I stitch all my creations myself,” he says.

Very expensive

He, however, says stitching is still a problem to many tailors that we have, and that is why he does it himself.

‘‘I stitch my designs because to me finishing is very important. I want someone to be able to wear the design inside out and still look neat, not to see seams running from all directions,” says the graduate from Malaysia.

Depending on the complexity of the design it can take two days— which also include sleepless nights on his side— to more than a week to come up with a unique dress.

His challenge, however, is that the market is yet to accommodate very expensive gowns that do not have the flexibility of being worn at just any other ordinary event.

Internationally, haute couture brands range from Sh3 million for a cocktail dress to Sh10 million for a gown.

Mr Walji clothes range from Sh20,000 to Sh40,000 or more depending on the complexity of the design and fabric choices.

His client base has grown to include brides who want head-turning gowns for their weddings. Although his line is more focused on women, he plans to start a man’s couture collection to fit the man who is ready to step beyond the comfort of a tuxedo.

Scottish skirts that have been modernised as some of couture designs for men, paired with an embellished jacket.

“It is my dream to one day see men in Kenya stop wearing the normal suits, jacket and jeans to events. If you just look at our neighbours Nigeria, they are ready to experiment with different designs, however we are still trapped in that balloon of asking ourselves what people would think when I wear a cape at an event,” says the designer.