A custom made evening gown from Catherine Colubriale Couture is bespoke: Catherine sketches it for you, we source the fabric, a toile is cut to your measurements, and the gown is refined over three to five fittings in our Dulwich Hill atelier. Bespoke evening gowns start from $3,500 and take six to twelve months, with timing confirmed at your consultation.
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What does a custom made evening gown mean at our atelier?
Plenty of dressmakers in Sydney use “custom” to mean a stock pattern made in your size. When we say custom made, we mean bespoke. There is no starting design: Catherine draws your gown after listening to you, the pattern is drafted from your measurements, and every piece is cut and sewn here. Bespoke evening couture is where Catherine’s love of colour, drama and detail shines brightest: elegant, sexy and made to be remembered.
That freedom covers the whole gown: silhouette, neckline, back, sleeves, split, length, and where any beading, lace or embroidery sits. If you have a picture you have never found in a shop, this is the way to get it.
How is a bespoke evening gown made?
- Consultation. Over champagne or coffee, we talk about the event, what you like wearing and how you want to feel. Bring pictures, colours or a dress you love the fit of. The consultation is $150, credited in full to your gown.
- Sketch. Catherine hand-draws your design. Gloria put it well: “It takes a true couturier to take a side sketch of a dress and turn it into a real dress.”
- Fabric. You choose fabric and trims together with Catherine, from samples sourced from around the world.
- Deposit. A 50% deposit begins the design, and your gown is quoted individually before you commit.
- Toile. A test version in plain fabric is cut to your measurements, so the shape is right before the real fabric is cut.
- Fittings. Three to five, as the gown is built on you.
- Finished early. We aim to finish your gown two weeks before the event.
Which fabrics and colours can I choose?
We source all fabric, so you never need to hunt for it yourself. Evening work uses silk duchess satin, silk dupion, silk organza and georgette, French and Italian laces, soft tulle, Mikado and more. On the New York runway Catherine used scarlet velvet, black Chantilly lace, silver organza and gold embroidery. If a fabric carries special meaning for you, we can consider including it in your gown.
Colour is where evening couture comes alive. Scarlet tulle, emerald silk, gold sequins. Catherine’s travels through Italy, France, Lebanon, Hong Kong, Sweden, America and Canada taught her to embrace every culture, and those colours and textures run through her work. For help deciding, read our guides to evening gown colours and evening gown fabrics, or look through evening gown styles before you come in.
How long does it take, and what does it cost?
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Six to twelve months out | Consultation, sketch, fabric and deposit |
| The months that follow | Toile, then three to five fittings |
| Two weeks before | Your gown is finished |
A simpler design may need less time, but we never promise a shorter timeline before we have seen your design: it is confirmed at your consultation. Bespoke evening gowns start from $3,500 and every gown is quoted individually. There are no hidden costs; the only extra cost comes from changing the design or fabric once your gown is in production, which we always discuss with you first. See our guides to evening gown cost and fittings and timeline.
Who has Catherine dressed?
Catherine has made gowns for influencers and personalities including Jo Casamento, Marie Patani, Shelly Horton, Maria Venuti, Athena X, Luana Ostling, Shirin Shirinak, Carl Devilla and Jamie Azzopardi. She has created promotional designs for Elizabeth Arden and Mary Kay, collaborated with the Australian Couture Ball, the Heart Foundation, the National Breast Cancer Foundation and the Greek Young Matrons Association, and was a guest judge at Pageant of the World 2018. In September 2026 she showed eight looks at New York Fashion Week, four of them evening.
When does the collection suit better?
- Your event is close. The Evening Couture Collection is made to order to your measurements in four to six weeks. If your event is sooner than four to six weeks away, call the atelier on +61 2 9922 4193 to talk through your timing.
- You love one of the New York looks as it is. The collection gives you that gown fitted to you, without designing from scratch.
For a side-by-side view, see our evening gowns page. If bespoke is right for you, book a consultation with Catherine.
