enne Phillips sits perched on a stool in the
Redoux Parlour’s workspace surrounded
by scissors, paper patterns and sketches.
Behind her, a dress form is mocked up with
lace — the beginning of a gown she’ll complete for a
summer wedding. She pulls out the garment’s sketch;
sweeping lines resembling rose petals fl ow together
creating a voluminous skirt, which is sprinkled with dots
representing intricate beadwork.
“It’s inspired by a Christian Dior dress,” she says.
Phillips will spend 100-plus hours to fi nish the frothy,
twinkling concoction, which includes consultations
with the bride, fi nding fabric, patternmaking, fi ttings,
alterations and, of course, sewing thousands of beads on
by hand.
In the new millennium, the strapless white mermaid-
silhouette dress has become de rigueur and ubiquitous
for brides. But Phillips off ers something diff erent, a
custom gown that no other person in the world will own
for a price that is competitive with the average off -the-
rack wedding gown.
A longtime lover of Parisian couture and runway
fashion, the local designer started making custom gowns
during high school in San Francisco. Her grandmother,
who Phillips describes as a San Francisco “it” girl during
the ’60s, was her fashion icon, letting her play dress-up as
a child with a closetful of fur coats, hats and “original Karl
Lagerfelds.” After completing school at San Francisco’s
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Phillips
moved to Eugene and started focusing on couture full-
time with her line Va Va Vie. In 2012, she showed her fi rst
full line of gowns at Eugene Fashion Week. She has been
working with brides ever since.
“I enjoy being part of the event — helping bring
their vision to life,” says Phillips of working with brides.
“People always say working with brides is tough, but I’m
so meticulous, I get it.”
R
Homegrown Gowns
PHOTO BY TRASK BEDORTHA
LOCAL DESIGNER RENNE PHILLIPS MAKES COUTURE
WEDDING DRESSES ACCESSIBLE By Alex Notman
(BELOW) THE
BEFORE AND
AFTER OF A
HANDBEADED
GOWN BY
PHILLIPS
PHOTOS COURTESY OF VA VA VIE
(ABOVE)
PHILLIPS
ALTERED
A DAVID’S
BRIDAL GOWN
TO HAVE A
TEAR-AWAY
SKIRT
So why should a bride go custom? Phillips ticks off
the pros of a custom gown: A bride can get exactly what
she wants; it’s the most bang for buck; the fi t is tailored
to each individual body; it’s an intimate experience from
beginning to end; and it’s local. Although Phillips says her
wedding gowns typically start at $1,000, she will work
with any budget.
“It’s for brides that want something outside the box,”
she says. “If you’re a creative person, you want a creative
garment.” Phillips points to a picture of one of her clients
in which the bride is wearing a white scalloped gown with
a beaded emerald peacock. She will also take an off -the-
rack dress and customize it, like she did for one client who
wanted her David’s Bridal gown’s skirt to tear away and
detach, revealing a mini skirt, for a special swing dance
choreographed with the groom. Phillips does bridesmaid
dresses and special event gowns too. She also specializes
in intimates with her signature beading.
“It’s real-life couture,” Phillips says. “It’s so much more
accessible than a bride would think.”
For more info about Renne Phillips’ designs, visit vavavie.com.
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