About AJR Designs
Designing and making is something that I have been interested in from an early age. I was trained at the Royal Scottish Academy Of Music And Drama in Glasgow where I specialised in Wardrobe and Design. I worked in the world of theatre for 6 years, venturing twice into the Film Industry. The year I graduated I began my career designing Occasional wear and made my first made to measure Wedding Dress. Since then I have catered for many an occasion with the ambition to help create the dream outfit for my clients.
My career has taken me to many corners of the world, from London to New York, South Korea and Taiwan. In March 2005 I represented Scotland at the World Stage Design Competition in Toronto, Canada with my costume designs for the play "Spring Awakening".
I believe in making a first class product and I am always reliable. I listen to my clients wishes and provide a unique service that helps complete any special day.
The Process
We begin with the free consultation this can be done in person or over the phone. I like to talk about what you like and dislike and get a general idea of your taste. From these discussions I'll be able to determine what you are looking for. It doesn't matter if you don't have any ideas about what you want - or for that matter if you know exactly what you want. I will sketch a variety of designs and from these you will be able to see exactly what you like and what you would like me to change.
Once a final design has been settled upon, we must decide upon colour and material. I will provide you with samples to choose from, the cost of the fabric will be the big factor in setting the cost of the quote. Once a fabric is chosen, I will offer you a quote and you can decide from there whether you want to go ahead, if its not for you or if we need to tailor the quote to suit your budget.
There is no obligation at this stage. If you decide that Custom made is not for you, you can walk away at this stage. That is the whole point of this consultation stage, to explain to you how the process works and to see if it suits you.
If you are happy, I set about making a pattern and toile (practice version using cotton, as seen in the two black and white images above), using the toile in the first of two to three fittings I make the item to fit your body shape. At this stage, you can still change the design - alot of the time you cant tell how a design will look until you see it on. This is the luxury of Custom made, you can develop the design during the process.
The final stage is making the item in the chosen material, having another fitting along the way and then one more when finished to view the finished article (this last fitting is not compulsary but can be used as a final check to make sure it fits perfectly).
Its a simple process, that offers you control but little stress. Book a free consultation to discuss what you are looking for - remember, there is no commitment.