VENDOR SPOTLIGHT // MADE BY ANATOMY
Today we’re getting to chat with Swish List member Made By Anatomy!
A short description of what you do: At Anatomy, we create custom made to measure dresses for brides, where we take what the bride's ideas are into consideration and then make those ideas into a reality. We take measurements and the production of a sample gown begins! The dress comes to life over the course of a few several dedicated fittings. We also create wedding dress reconstructions from heirloom dresses brides bring in. We take care of any alterations and create custom veils as well as other bridal accessories! Joy and I are like the wedding fairy godmothers, except we love getting out of comfort zones and our brides are badasses. If brides already love a look we've created, we've made it easy for them to go to our Etsy shop and select a look they can order.
How long have you been working in the wedding industry? Anatomy's coming up on its 10 year anniversary in October!
What makes your business unique? Anatomy allows the bride to envision, inspire, and embody the dress of her dreams. She can choose the fabric and color, adjust sleeve length, alter the neckline, and add embellishments. It's made to measure just for her. We also take family heirloom dresses and alter them to give them a new for our brides! Many times they'll bring in their grandmother's or mother's dress and we brainstorm ideas, listen to the look and what they want to get out of the dress then go to the drawing board. It's amazing to see sketches come to life with every fitting and then finally to see the wedding photos! It's so special and satisfying!
Favourite part of your business? The best part, outside of designing and channeling creativity, is getting to know the brides and their love stories. There's something intimate and special about creating a custom dress for a bride or taking an heirloom dress and reconstructing it, we get to know these women and some of their families very closely, and we love it!
What inspires you? What inspires me when I’m designing wedding dresses are the clients themselves. Through our consultation and conversations, I get to know each of the women over wine or tea. Everything about the design process revolves around the client. Their measurements and proportions, their likes and dislikes, and their personalities. I know just the right questions to ask them to get a better sense of the kind of person they are. Often times I will be inspired by the fabric I find. A beautiful print or exceptional lace pattern and texture can take a hold of me and lead the design process. I may have a direction in mind already, but once I can find the perfect fabrics it all comes together.
Who is your mentor/hero in the industry? Gosh, I feel that I have so many heroes in my life to look up to and lean on and times of support. I have many friendors (as I so lovingly dubbed them!) but some have become very close to me. A few in particular as Natalie Sinisgalli-Kettavong, Lydia Maybee, and Stacy Ercan. They are all women that I turn to for support and advice, but also fuel my creativity and we love working together. I’ve been lucky enough to make wedding dresses for two of them - and hoping the other will renew her vows!
On your day off...where would we find you? On a day off you'd find me spending time with my family, probably working on something (even though it's my day off). I love a good yoga session, followed by some wine, still waiting for the two to be combined ;)
If you weren't a wedding vendor, what would be your dream job? If Anatomy were to shut down tomorrow, I would still run Upstate Indie Weddings and teach at Buffalo State in the fashion department. My home is deeply rooted in Buffalo now, so I would have to find something to bring me joy here!
What great wedding trends are you seeing this year? Many of our clients are requesting sleeves. Quite a few of our brides are also interested in convertible options, where you are almost getting two dresses out of one. You can achieve this by adding an overlayer to a short earlier, adding another top or other decorative elements. Do you to the intimate nature of our design process, we don’t focus too much on what’s in style at the moment, rather, we focus on the style of the client.
Do you have any practical advice for couples planning a wedding? I think it's practical for couples to sit down over brunch or a glass of wine and have an open and honest conversation about their budget and what their must-haves are! Wedding planning isn't all stress, you can have with it, too!
Photography Credits:
Images 1-4: Seventh Arrow Studio | Image 5: City Lights Studio | Image 6: Nickel City Photo
