A highly experienced and talented dressmaker, Loraine creates beautiful clothes for ladies with discerning tastes. My vision is for ladies everywhere to feel inspired and ooze with confidence dressed in couture uniquely designed for them - and them alone. Designer style at an affordable price
Every lady is special and deserves a special treat every now and then. Loraine Walker creates inspiring ha
ute couture – at an affordable price. Right from her fashion house studio in Fife – a short 40-minute drive from Edinburgh and Perth. Distinctive looks for discerning tastes
We’re all unique. We each have a unique personality and body shape. Loraine recognises this and offers haute couture at an affordable price. Loraine has more than 30 years’ experience of tailoring and fashion design. “What looks great on one lady will look quite different on another. My job is to make all my clients feel extra special and burst with confidence. So that no matter where you are going, you feel great and walk with an air confidence.”
Personal consultation
Loraine believes: “To feel confident, you must feel completely comfortable in your clothes. The last thing you want to think about is that your dress is too tight, too short – or that something is going to fall off it!”
Loraine takes time getting to know and understand her clients – their personality, what they like and how they want to feel. “And of course, we talk about the garment too. I work from pictures cut out from magazines, newspapers, photos to clients’ own ideas of what they are looking for.”
Loraine goes over the smallest of the garment’s details with her clients. “We think about the length, so that clients will feel comfortable when they sit down. We discuss sleeves so that they are the right length and flatter the figure. If zips and buttons are needed, we think about their size and if they’re needed for practical reasons or only for decoration.
“We also consider things such as cleavage, slits and underwear – and most crucially of all, the view from the back. So many of us focus on looking good from the front and often overlook how the garment looks from the back.”
Tender loving care for old favourites
Clients often bring in an old favourite that has seen better days but that they can’t bear to part with. It may be that it hangs well, or the colour suits their complexion or it feels comfortable to wear. Loraine makes up a replica, usually with modern edge. “You might want a different length or fastening – or a slightly different design to the neck or sleeve. I’m often asked to make the same article in more than one colour too!”
Perhaps you want to update your wardrobe to a budget. By making a few alterations here and there we can give you a fresh, contemporary look – and at an affordable price. Fabrics
When the shape of the garment has been decided, Loraine and her clients then consider fabrics. “As well as colours, I spend lots of time with clients sampling different textures and weights of material because they all have bearing on the garment’s drape.”
Your choice of fabric is limitless. Cottons and crepes, Lycras and linens, PVC, soft leathers and coloured suedes. Lorraine sources material from across the globe. She can often be found in her favourite London haunts looking for the right fabric for a special outfit. She also has a specialist supplier for her silks – so you’ve got lots and lots of choice. And many clients bring in fabric that they’ve bought when visiting exotic places on holiday, such as Hong Kong and China. Fittings
Many designers work only from paper patterns. Loraine is different. A client might want features from three or more different paper patterns. Loraine brings all the design elements together by using lining material to make up samples for fittings. Clients usually have four fittings. This varies depending on the design and detail. Some garments need six or more fittings. Most clients love to come into Loraine’s studio for fittings because it gives them the chance to soak up the atmosphere and see Loraine working at her machine. Some clients prefer to be fitted in the comfort of their own home, which Loraine is very happy to do. For ladies who are on a diet or keep fit plan, Loraine schedules fittings to suit each stage of their regime. Many ladies find this to be super incentive to stick to their health plans because they want to lose weight before their next fitting. The price tag
We offer all clients a free, confidential consultation. Each garment is priced before work starts. We offer a number of flexible payment plans that will suit every budget. Most people choose to pay a deposit – £50 to £100 – and then pay in instalments at fittings, paying off the balance when the garment is finished and ready to wear. We take great care and attention when packaging garments. Each is protected in a Loraine Walker branded waterproof carrier. What our clients tell us
“Loraine offers much more than a high end quality store. She gives a fantastic service, good value for money – and her special personal touch.”
“Complete strangers have stopped me to say ‘ooh where did you get that?’ Loraine makes the most of my best bits – and hides the bits I don’t like!”
“Loraine creates some of the most amazing dresses, costumes and design I have ever seen. She is ultra professional and creates outfits that make us feel and look truly wonderful.”
“Loraine went to some lengths to source material to make a copy of a favourite top for me.”
“Loraine thinks about everything – the colour, texture and drape –so that the garment is perfect for me.”
“I introduced my friend to Loraine because she couldn’t get the style she wanted.”
To book your free consultation, [email protected] If you prefer, you can call us on 01592 891344 or pop into our studio at Hide and Sleek Designs, 53 High Street, Kinghorn, Fife. We'll be delighted to hear from you. About Loraine
A highly experienced and talented dressmaker, Loraine Walker creates beautiful clothes for ladies with discerning tastes. Loraine spent her early childhood in Gibraltar when the border with Spain was closed. From a very young age, Loraine wanted to be different so she started making her own clothes. It was the late 60s early 70s. Loraine’s inspiration was sparked by the music at the time with bands such as Credence Clear Water and Marmalade – as well as magazines and hippies. Loraine clearly recalls her excitement when a gift arrived from her aunt. It was a bundle of scraps of suede. Loraine soon got to work and created a fashion statement outfit of waistcoat with long fringes and matching bag – which were all the rage at the time. A local dressmaker took Loraine under her wing and taught her about patterns, cutting, fabrics and so on. Loraine put her new skills and talent to great use by making outfits for her two-year old sister Lisa. After returning to the UK, Loraine studied fashion and fabric at Woodmill High School in Dunfermline. Originally planning to teach dressmaking, she graduated from Horsforth College of Further Education in Leeds. By now though Loraine had a young family, and with the ebbs and flows of family life, she returned to Scotland in 1982 where she opened her first shop. A year later she launched her first collection. Tina Turner and Michael Jackson were setting the trends then and Loraine’s chamois leather designs were hugely popular with her young audience. Over the years, Loraine’s reputation and business has grown from strength to strength. And she continues to be inspired by music and fabric to create beautiful couture for her clients – all of who enjoy the excitement and thrill of a new outfit that Loraine has uniquely designed for them alone.
