How I Began My Journey in Wedding Dress Design: From Ballet to Bridal Couture

As a professional ballet dancer, I’ve been surrounded by beauty and artistry. The stage has always been my second home, where movement and elegance come together to tell a story. But behind the scenes, another passion has quietly woven its way through my life: fashion. From a young age, designing dresses wasn’t just a hobby—it was a way to express myself and imagine the beauty I wanted to see in the world.

At 16, I found myself at a crossroads. I had been designing dresses for as long as I could remember, but ballet was also a huge part of my life. I knew I had to make a decision about my future. With its intense physical demands, Ballet would be a short-lived career compared to fashion design. Ultimately, I chose to pursue ballet professionally, knowing I would have the opportunity to come back to fashion once my dance career was over. This decision gave me the best of both worlds: the chance to experience the beauty and discipline of ballet while keeping my love for fashion alive in the background, waiting for the right moment to take centre stage.

It wasn’t until I turned 20 that I decided to dive deeper into fashion and teach myself the technical skills needed to bring my designs to life. Sewing and embroidery became my creative outlet, and I absorbed as much as I could from YouTube tutorials, books, and a lot of trial and error. It was an entirely self-guided journey, fueled by curiosity and a deep love for craftsmanship.

Even though fashion was always in the back of my mind, I never imagined it would evolve into something more than a personal passion until much later. After all, ballet remained my primary focus. But in 2020, as COVID-19 halted performances and life slowed down, an unexpected opportunity arose that shifted everything.

Koen Havenith and Lennart Radtke in Jean-Christophe Maillots Cinderella Photo by Alice Blangero

My dear friend Candela asked if I would design her wedding dress. To say I was honored would be an understatement. It was a dream come true, a chance to bring my designs to life for one of the most important moments in someone’s life. However, designing a wedding dress felt different from anything I’d done before—it wasn’t just about creating something beautiful; it had to be perfect.

I knew I needed guidance to turn this dream into a reality, and that’s where Jean-Michel, the head of the costume atelier at the ballet company, came in. Jean-Michel is a master of draping, pattern-making, and garment construction, and with his mentorship, I learned how to take my designs from sketch to reality. I spent hours learning the art of draping, pattern drafting, and understanding fabric flow. It was an immersive experience that deepened my understanding of fashion beyond just design—it was about how a piece moves, fits, and transforms the person wearing it.

Candela’s wedding dress became a labor of love. We started by discussing her vision and dream gown, and then I translated that into sketches and fabric choices. I worked carefully on each detail, ensuring that the gown would reflect her unique style and personality. And that was just the beginning! I also designed a veil, intricately embroidered to match the beauty of her dress, along with a reception dress, a headpiece, and two bridesmaids' dresses. By the end of it, I had created a full bridal collection for her special day.

The moment I saw Candela walk down the aisle in the dress I had made was surreal. Seeing her wear something that I had poured my heart and soul into was one of the most fulfilling moments of my life. It was then that I realized designing wedding dresses wasn’t just a side passion—it was something I wanted to pursue more seriously.

Though my ballet career continues, fashion design has taken on a more central role in my life. Designing bridalwear allows me to merge my love for storytelling, elegance, and artistry, much like ballet. Both worlds are about movement, expression, and creating something magical.

This is just the beginning of my journey into the world of bridal couture, and I’m excited to share more about my designs, my creative process, and the wonderful brides I’ve been fortunate enough to work with. Thank you for joining me on this path as I balance my two passions—ballet and fashion—and watch how they continue to shape me as an artist.

How The journey began

From Tokyo to Houston