Hello, I’m Clem. Here’s a little bit about me…
I’ve been interested in clothes and the history of costume for as long as I can remember. After studying fashion design at college, I trained as a textile conservator at The Victoria and Albert Museum, where I worked on the costume collection and gained valuable knowledge about the cut and construction of garments.
Now, with 40 years of creating bespoke gowns and working on pieces from designer labels and high street stores, I have a wealth of experience. I specialise in wedding dresses and special-occasion wear and pride myself on excellent craftsmanship and attention to detail.
Clem Short Couture was established in 2007 and it's a one-woman business. I will see you from your first consultation until you come to collect. I can work with you to design your dream dress from scratch, or make your ready-to-wear gown fit as though it was made to measure. I believe clothes should be made to treasure and last, so I'm especially happy if I can give a vintage piece a new story, or a pre-loved dress a new lease of life and I welcome opportunities to work with ethically sourced fabrics.
The only other person I trust to have a hand in the work is my daughter Ellie, whom I sometimes enlist to help with hand-sewing.
If you require extra beading, I will ask her to do it in consultation with you. She runs her own bespoke millinery business, Ellie Vandenbrekel Millinery, and can create a unique hairpiece for you using beads or fabric offcuts from the dress.
When I am not fully booked with wedding dresses, I will sometimes be able to do alterations to other ladies' clothing, but time rarely permits.
I would love people to feel confident doing their own alterations, so once a month I run 'Sew Do It', a drop-in sewing group where I can guide you through doing your own simple alterations and repairs. Find out more on our Facebook page.