Blog – Page 2 – Kosibah

Category: Blog

September 1, 2022

TRUST THE PROCESS – KOSIBAH BRIDE SIMI RASHEED.

Today September 1st 2022 marks exactly 31 years Kosibah was established as a business. To celebrate that, I share with you the creation of Kosibah Real Bride Simi’s couture bridal gown from sketch to wedding day.

Designing and creating Simi’s couture bridal gown was very special to me because she is my niece. I went to see her in hospital the day after she was born and I said to her mother I hoped to make her wedding dress whenever she decided to get married.

Simi wore a strapless gown with a trumpet silhouette skirt in duchesse satin with an organza overlay featuring a high hemline in front and a cathedral length train edged with Swarovski embellished beaded scalloped lace. Hand-cut lace appliques were also strategically placed on the bodice and Bothe the underlay and overlay fabrics of the gown.

Simi’s tulle cathedral veil had the same lace appliques running down from the comb and around the edge.

Location: London, UK.

Please play the video to view the process.

Here is the Google review left by Kosibah Bride Simi.

What are your thoughts or questions about the process involved in the creation of this gown? Please leave your comments below.

August 25, 2022

TRUST THE PROCESS – KOSIBAH BRIDE IFE.

The creation of Kosibah Bride Ife’s couture bridal gown from Atelier to First dance.

Ife wore a strapless mermaid couture gown. The bodice, with a sweetheart neckline, is in French lace with a duchesse satin underlay and has an internal corset. The mermaid skirt in ruffled layers of tulle and lace has a cathedral length train. The ensemble is completed with a tulle chemise with a high neckline and long fitted sleeves with hand stitched French lace appliques.

The cathedral tulle veil also features hand stitched French lace appliques.

Wedding location: Birmingham, UK.

Please play the video to view the process.

Cutting the applique patterns from the lace fabric piece

What are your thoughts or questions about the process involved in the creation of this gown? Please leave your comments below.

August 18, 2022

TRUST THE PROCESS – KOSIBAH BRIDE MORIYIKE.

The creation of Kosibah Bride Moriyike’s couture reception gown from sketch to dancing into the reception Hall.

Moriyike wanted a gown she would change into to dance into her wedding Reception. Since her first dress would be white, she wanted some colour in the dress. I designed a gown with a removable overskirt that had enough drama for the occasion, which could then be removed for the more relaxed part at the latter part of the evening and could be worn again for another occasion.

The appliqués on the gown were cut out from a piece of lace fabric and hand sewn in place on the gown.

Please play the video to view the process.

What are your thoughts or questions about the process involved in the creation of this gown? Please leave your comments below.

August 11, 2022

TRUST THE PROCESS – KOSIBAH BRIDE CLARA OLATUNJI.

The creation of Kosibah Bride Clara’s couture bridal gown from sketch to walking down the aisle.

Clara’s custom gown features a puddle length trumpet silhouette inner skirt, over which is a modified A line silhouette overlay with hand-sewn 3D lace appliqués, horsehair trim along the hemline and cathedral length train. The corseted bodice, with cap sleeves has a bateau neckline and V back detailing.

Wedding location – Malta.

A bespoke cathedral length veil edged with horsehair trim and embellished with the same 3D lace appliqués completes the look.

Official wedding Images by T. Phillips Photography (tphillips.com)

Please play the video to view the process.

Here is the Google review left by Kosibah Bride Clara.

The floral pattern from the tulle lace fabric about to be cut into an applique

What are your thoughts or questions about the process involved in the creation of this gown? Please leave your comments below.

August 4, 2022

TRUST THE PROCESS – KOSIBAH BRIDE MORGAN ELIAS.

Behind the scenes clips of the creation of Kosibah Bride Morgan’s couture bridal gown from toile (prototype of the gown in muslin) to her walking down the aisle.

Morgan wore a ballgown silhouette gown in sequinned organza fabric with a silk duchesse satin underlay and embellished with hand-sewn bespoke beaded appliqués. The corseted bodice has a sweetheart neckline, off the shoulder cap sleeves, and tie up fastening detail behind. The ballgown skirt has a cathedral length detachable train. The ensemble is finished with a cathedral length veil trimmed with the same bespoke beaded appliqués.

Morgan’s wedding reception took place at the MGM National Habor Hotel, Oxon Hill, MD.

Please play the video to view the process.

Here is the Google review left by Kosibah Bride Morgan.

Fitting the toile (prototype) of the gown

What are your thoughts or questions about the process involved in the creation of this gown? Please leave your comments below.

July 27, 2022

Trust the process….Kosibah couture bridal gown Erato.

From sketch to runway. Years of experience with couture techniques and figure enhancing elements in pattern drafting result in the Kosibah signature hourglass silhouette and fit.

Erato is a trumpet silhouette gown featuring 3/4 length sleeves, silver grey illusion tulle bodice with a bateau neckline and plunging V back. The skirt has an above the knee slit in the centre front and a chapel length train. Hand sewn Lace appliqués embellish the gown on the bodice, sleeves and hemline of the gown.

The couture gown is perfect for a bride with minimalist, contemporary tastes getting married in a modern setting, as a Reception or Second gown or with a shorter train for a stylish Mother of the Bride or Groom.

Because Erato is a custom made gown all fabric, colour and embellishment options are endless.

Erato - The Turner Collection — Erato – The Turner Collection

What are your thoughts or questions about the process involved in the creation of this gown? Please leave your comments below.

January 9, 2022

Kosibah at the V&A Museum, London. 2008.

A look back at footage from my catwalk show at the Kulture2Kouture fashion show at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, organised by the Mayors Office to celebrate Black History Month.

September 8, 2021

Kosibah at 30

Kosibah celebrates its 30th year as a registered business in September 2021. I can’t believe how quickly time has flown.

I remain thankful that I’m one of the lucky ones that was able to pursue my passion for illustration, fashion and design from an early age fully supported and encouraged by my parents, and able to study Fashion Design and set up my business in a positive and nurturing environment.

I am so grateful to each and every person that has played a part, no matter how small, in making the Kosibah journey reach this milestone, most especially my clients without whom there would be no business to celebrate.

So much has changed over the years, it is almost a totally different world but I have always embraced change and sought to use it in as positive a manner as possible.

Regardless of what Kosibah is doing now and will do in the future, creating couture/custom gowns from scratch to flatter and enhance the figure of the wearer and make them look and feel their best when wearing their Kosibah gown will always be my true love.

Thank you 🙏🏾 ❤️ Images by Melanie Nathan

April 24, 2017

A London Couture Designer in New York

After 25 years of running my couture bridal and evening wear brand Kosibah in London, I moved myself and my business to New York in September 2016.

I expected a bit of an adjustment and prepared myself for it, but the reality of the move was more profound than I could have imagined.

I have always believed you should never rest on your laurels or believe you have ‘made it’ because change is constant and you must keep up with it.

What I came to realise it is that despite my flagging up the possibility of my move from London to NY, it didn’t register with a lot of people and so I’ve had to step up my marketing and brand presence strategies to rectify this.

The move is a very positive step for the Kosibah brand because aside from my UK clients (I still retain my London studio and visit every 8 weeks for client consultations and fittings) the Kosibah brand is now easily available to clients all over the US.

I have thoroughly enjoyed exploring the Garment District of NYC and especially love the fact all you needas a designer (fabrics, trimmings, equipment, sample makers etc) can be found within 7th to 9th Avenues and 37th to 40th street.

Here are some beautiful fabrics I’ve come across and look forward to using to create my couture gowns.

l am now planning to visit a few cities in the US to hold one to one Bridal Consultations with potential clients. To get them to see and possibly try on Kosibah Sample couture gowns and then have a gown designed especially for them.
Which city and state do you think I should add to my list? The more the demand the more likely I’ll visit that city.

December 23, 2016

Top 5 Kosibah Destination Brides for 2016.

Hi there, thanks for checking out this blog post. As the end of 2016 draws in, I thought it would be an ideal opportunity to look back at Kosibah Real Brides who got married in a different country from which they usually live.

This is more pertinent to me as a bridal designer who has recently relocated to New York from London after successfully running my business there for 25 years.

It’s a huge leap of faith to have a destination wedding because even if you have the most efficient and well connected wedding planner, you are still physically removed from where your dream day will take place.

I’ve had the great privilege this year to work with some amazing brides to create couture gowns for their destination weddings. I’m pleased that at least getting their couture gown made is one thing they can be part of from start to completion.

Here is the list. Please let me know which is your favourite Kosibah Bride or wedding destination.

1.Kosibah Real Bride Louise. Destination: Cape Town, South Africa.

Louise wore a couture full skirted bridal gown with a beaded, corseted bodice and a tulle skirt bustled behind with multi length layers, stiffed at the hemline with horsehair crinoline.

2. Kosibah Real Bride Funmilayo. Destination: Venice, Italy.

Funmilayo wore a couture fishtail gown. It had a removable chemise with 3/4 length sleeves which she removed for the informal part of the wedding reception.

3. Kosibah Real Bride Amina. Destination: Chateneauf-de-Grass (near Nice), France.

Amina wore a silver gray French Lace and Duchesse Satin couture gown styled to reflect her Nigerian heritage. The corseted gown had a fitted skirt with a detachable tulle overskirt.

4. Kosibah Real Bride Julianna. Destination: Santorini, Greece.

Julianna wore a couture bridal gown featuring an illusion tulle bodice embellished with Lace appliqués and a modified fishtail skirt in soft tulle with a cathedral train.

5. Kosibah Real Bride Layal. Destination: Lake Como, Italy.

Layal wore a couture bridal gown with a fitted beaded Lace bodice with an intergral corset and delicate covered buttons over the dress zipper and dropped shoulder strap sleeves. The fishtail skirt was made up of over 50 meters of Tulle gathered into rose swirls and ruffles on the surface fabric of Duchesse Satin. A matching cathedral veil with hand stitched Lace edging completed the ensemble. Photos by Jide Alakija.

I look forward to reading your comments. Thank you.

July 2, 2015

Kosibah Real Bride Yve.

Today I share with you images from Kosibah Real Bride Yve’s wedding. Creating Yves dress was a joy for many reasons. For one, she was getting married to my good friend Deb and I knew a lot of our mutual friends would be seeing my work ‘in real life’ for the first time. It was also an opportunity to create a fusion design that incorporated aspects of Deb’s Asian culture.

I decided to use Sari Fabric, deconstructed and put back together with silk duchesse satin. We chose a rich burgundy red and gold sari.

The wedding took place in the grounds of the magnificent Tudor mansion Leez Priory with the wedding breakfast in a hall within the mansion.

Here is a short video captured and edited on my iPhone that encapsulates the whole day.

December 7, 2014

Lets Talk Fashion with British Bridal Designer – Kosibah’s Yemi Osunkoya

Please check out this recent feature on me/ Kosibah in World Bride Magazine.

https://worldbride.wordpress.com/2014/08/01/lets-talk-fashion-with-british-bridal-designer-kosibahs-yemi-osunkoya/

October 11, 2014

Kosibah Inspiration Board VI

Today’s inspiration board features Kosibah couture gown ‘Imogen’.

The fishtail gown features a pearl and diamanté embellished neckline and waistline. The skirt is sprinkled with hand-cut Swaroski diamanté encrusted Lace appliqués hand sewn into place.

The pearl and diamanté accents are taken as a theme for the cake, shoes and earrings.

Please share your thoughts below.

August 23, 2014

Kosibah Real Bride Asia- A couture Nikai bridal gown.

Today I am sharing with you the process of creating Kosibah Real Bride Asia’s couture gown for her Nikai ceremony held in Tanzania.

It involved hand cutting appliqués off the French Lace fabric and reassembling them on silk tulle, by hand, thereby creating a bespoke fabric for the center back panel of the fishtail skirt.

Asia teamed her gown with a head-wrap in the same silk satin as the gown underlay and wore an embellished veil for the ceremony.

This gown would also be perfect for a Reception dress after a white

Please let me know what you think.

June 11, 2014

Kosibah Real Bride Charlotte

It is always a great show of confidence in one’s work when as a designer you get to create bridal gowns for more than one member of the same family. It was such a case in today’s Kosibah Real Bride Charlotte as I also got to create her sister’s bridal gown a couple of years later.

Charlotte wanted a fitted fishtail gown with some texture in the fabric. I created a gown featuring an asymmetrical empire-line bodice hand-draped in silk duchesse satin with a Swarovski embellished knot leading to 2 detachable shoulder straps. The corseted lower bodice and fishtail skirt was in textured silk tulle with Swarovski diamante crystals added on in the Kosibah Studio.

I also made the dresses worn by the 2 Bridesmaids (one of whom I later made a wedding gown for), the Mother of the Bride and the Grandmother of the Bride. As I usually do when I can, I arrived in the morning to dress the whole bridal party.

Charlotte, the daughter of Lord Boateng, a peer of the realm, had the privilege of getting married in the beautiful St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey with her reception taking place across Parliament Square at One Great George Street , a magnificent Grade II listed, four-domed, Edwardian building .

Charlotte removed her silk tulle cathedral veil after the wedding service and just before cutting the cake with her new husband, removed the detachable shoulder straps which created a more informal look to her dress.

Enjoy the images, especially the interiors of both St Margaret’s Church and One Great George Street.

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