Catherine Colubriale is a Sydney couturier who has designed wedding dresses since the 1990s, and her gowns have been shown at New York Fashion Week and on the front cover of Luxury Weddings. She designs each bride’s gown with her from a blank page, and it is made by hand in our Dulwich Hill atelier. Bespoke bridal gowns start from $3,500.
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Who is Catherine Colubriale?
Catherine started designing at five, using her mother’s dressmaking tools. She worked from fifteen to pay for her fashion studies, and at twenty-one she opened her first atelier in Kingsgrove. The house later had a boutique on Oxford Street, Paddington, and today the atelier is at 422 New Canterbury Road, Dulwich Hill, in Sydney’s Inner West.
Her work has been on the runway at Sydney Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Doltone House and the Sydney Bridal Expo. In September 2026 she showed eight looks at New York Fashion Week, four bridal and four evening, closing with a finale of black Chantilly lace over tiered silk dupion. Her gowns have been on the front cover of Luxury Weddings and in editorials for BRIDES and Complete Wedding, and the atelier received a Local Business Achievement Award from Marrickville Council. You can read more of her story on the atelier page.
The atelier is rated 5.0 on Google from more than 100 reviews. One bride, Gloria, put it this way: “It takes a true couturier to take a side sketch of a dress and turn it into a real dress.”
How does Catherine design a wedding dress?
Catherine starts with the person, then the dress. Many of the bride stories on this site begin the same way: a conversation about the wedding, how the bride wants to feel, and what she loves and avoids wearing, before the pencil touches paper.
- Consultation. Over champagne or coffee in the atelier. Bring pictures, colours and anyone you would like with you.
- A hand-drawn sketch. Catherine draws your design, often several versions, until it feels like you.
- Fabric chosen together. Silk duchess satin, silk dupion, silk organza and georgette, French and Italian laces, soft tulle and Mikado, sourced from around the world.
- The toile. A test gown in plain fabric, cut to your measurements, so the shape is right before the real fabric is cut.
- Three to five fittings, as the gown is built on you.
- Finished two weeks before the wedding. Catherine also offers a wedding morning dressing service.
A bespoke gown takes six to twelve months. Read more about the process on our custom made wedding dresses page.
Bespoke or made to order?
There are two ways to a Catherine Colubriale gown, and they are quite different.
| Bespoke | Bridal Couture Collection | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A gown designed for you from a blank page | One of four white gowns from New York Fashion Week 2026, made to order |
| Fit | Patterned to you, three to five fittings | Made to your measurements |
| Time | Six to twelve months | Four to six weeks |
| Price | From $3,500 | Quoted at your consultation |
See the four gowns in the Bridal Couture Collection.
How do I choose a wedding dress designer in Sydney?
Sydney has many people who call themselves wedding dress designers. Some design and make every gown themselves, some design and send the making elsewhere, and some sell other labels with changes. None of these is wrong, but you should know which you are paying for. Use this checklist at any first appointment, including ours.
| Ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Where is the gown cut and sewn, and by whom? | A gown made where you have your fittings can be adjusted between them. Ask to see the workroom. |
| Will the designer be at my fittings? | The person who drew the design should see it on your body. |
| Do you make a toile? | A test gown shows the fit before precious fabric is cut. |
| How many fittings are included? | Three to five is usual for bespoke. Check they are in the price. |
| What is your starting price, and what do most gowns cost? | A starting price alone tells you little. |
| What can change the price after I pay a deposit? | You want a clear answer in writing. |
| Can I see gowns you have made, worn by real brides? | Real wedding photos show how a gown moves and lasts through a day. |
| How long do you need? | An honest designer will say no to a timeline that is too short. |
| Do I feel heard? | You will spend months together. Notice whether they ask about you or talk mostly about themselves. |
We go through each of these in more detail in our guide to choosing a wedding dress designer.
Who is Catherine the right designer for?
Catherine suits brides who want a gown no one else will wear, made in Sydney, with the designer at every fitting. She also suits brides who want the whole bridal party designed together: Lia’s gown, her mother’s, her mother-in-law’s and three bridesmaids’ gowns were all made in the atelier. And she has dressed many brides through weight changes and pregnancy.
She may not be right if your budget is under $3,500 for a bespoke gown, or if you want to try on finished gowns and take one home the same week. A bridal boutique is the better choice then. If your wedding is close, ask about the Bridal Couture Collection, made to your measurements in four to six weeks.
Consultations are $150, credited in full to your gown. To meet Catherine, book a consultation at the Dulwich Hill atelier.
