Yvonne Gillon Couture Review

MARPLE based couture designer Yvonne Gillon has achieved a lot in her 25 years of work in the North West. She’s founded Cami Confidential (a post mastectomy camisole collection we reviewed back in March. Click here), gained a loyal clientele for her made to measure designs and created Karen McDonald from Coronation Street’s wedding dress. But how did she do it?

According to Mitchell, very few women are a ‘normal’ shape, so many choose to get couture outfits absolutely made to fit them. Sure, you can buy a cheaper dress at Jaeger, but if it doesn’t fit well it won’t look anywhere near as nice.

“I just emailed Corrie and asked if I could design them a dress.” And that’s all it took to get her design worn by Suranne Jones on one of the most watched soap weddings ever. A surge of interest into her business followed after the broadcast and the rest is history.

Yvonne Gillon“If it doesn’t fit well it doesn’t look good” said Helen Mitchell, Gillon’s PA. It seems that body shape is something firmly at the front of her mind when Gillon designs. Her USP is creating made to measure outfits for her customers. Specialising in clothing for the mother of the bride, Yvonne Gillon Couture also specialises in bridal wear and formal evening wear. With pieces normally taking six to eight weeks to produce, the detail in her designs is incredible.

Gillon, like many of us, watched the Royal Wedding eager to see what Ms Middleton would be wearing. For her though, it was Carole Middleton who was under scrutiny. “After the bride, people always ask what the mother of the bride was wearing” said Mitchell, “There was so much pressure on her”.  And what did Gillon make of Mrs Middleton’s choice? It was perfect for her body shape, apparently. She couldn’t say the same about Camilla Parker Bowles though.

Understanding the client’s personality and weaving this into the design is another factor Gillon prides herself on. The company normally opts to create simple, elegant outfits but if a customer has a more OTT personality, then Gillon will design a dress to match.

According to Mitchell, very few women are a ‘normal’ shape, so many choose to get couture outfits absolutely made to fit them. Sure, you can buy a cheaper dress at Jaeger, but if it doesn’t fit well it won’t look anywhere near as nice. Mitchell knows what she’s talking about too. For her own wedding she looked around for a dress before deciding Yvonne was the only designer for her. “It fitted me perfectly and gave me an amazing feeling”.

Gillon has recently moved into a new Marple studio at 13 Hollins Lane and welcomes people to drop into the shop with ideas. Alternatively, prospective customers can call the studio and ask questions.

What do we think of it? Gillon is certainly a one of a kind couture designer. She’s stayed in the North West for 25 years because of her loyal clientele that keeps on growing. As our conversation ended Mitchell summed up the importance the customers.

Corrie's Karen McDonald“We get people coming back for a dress for their son’s wedding after we’ve designed them an outfit for their daughter’s. We’re even getting these same people coming back asking for designs for their grandchildren’s weddings”.

It’s this repeat custom that really shows how valued Yvonne Gillon is in the North West. Her exclusive individual service is treasured by many and her success seems set to continue with designs constantly being reinvented as women’s body shapes and trends change.

Visit www.yvonnegillon.co.uk for more information.