In his quest to find interesting people in interesting occupations, David Trim found Olivia Briasco, bridal seamstress and returned local. Having done her Big OE working in some very high-end establishments, Olivia has brought home her skills, working in her own business, to the delight of our Hawke’s Bay brides and brides around the country. Here is a snippet of her story.
We often come across people who have grown up in Hawke’s Bay and have ventured out into the Big Wide World, only to return to the place where many of their younger memories were created. It’s interesting to unravel what drives this return. Is it family? Is it the memory of a fun upbringing, something they may want for their children? Or did they simply leave to explore greater opportunities in their chosen careers, knowing they would return with more life experience? Either way our travellers are welcomed home, and as a community we benefit greatly from their adventures.
Olivia Briasco is one of those. After leaving school, Olivia studied at Massey University in Wellington, obtaining a Bachelor of Design with Honours, majoring in Fashion Design.
Australia was her next port of call, working for an upmarket bridal studio in Melbourne called KYHA. Olivia says they were great because of their focus on exclusive modern-design dresses and gowns.
London always held an attraction for Olivia. Seeking to explore more high-end fashion, Olivia landed a position working for Victoria Beckham. This role included managing one-off dresses designed for the royal and elite, fashion week events and outfits for Victoria herself to wear to her many public occasions.
Back in the Bay, we caught up with Olivia where she began her own business, Obriasco Bridal Boutique, in Napier, creating wedding gowns for about-to-be brides all over New Zealand.
How many years have you been a bridal seamstress? Four years in total, with two of those years in my own business.
Why this profession?
I have always loved fashion, and the style in New Zealand is different from the fashion that I like. I feel that people in New Zealand appreciate bridal fashion in the same way that I appreciate highend fashion: the high level of detail that a bride expects for her wedding dress is different to that expected for a special occasion dress. I found that I am able to connect with my bride clients because we talk the same language. They want their wedding gown to be special, to make them look and feel amazing, and they want to discuss the intricate details. It’s these detailed conversations and getting everything just perfect that I am passionate about.
I so appreciate my time with Victoria Beckham, as she has instilled this level of perfection in me. It’s an amazing feeling for me when a soon-to-be bride leaves with their dream wedding gown.
What has been the most memorable experience for you so far? Last year I won the Ultimate Visitor Experience Award at the Hawke’s Bay Chamber of Commerce Business Awards. This has reassured me that my clients love what I do and is confirmation that the way I want to run my business is exactly what my clients are receiving in terms of amazing, individualised gowns and a pleasurable journey to get there.
What part of your work do you enjoy the most? Making the dresses. I have realised how much I love the creativity in the actual making, not just in designing. I love the complexity that happens when you take a design and make it work. And I love the outcomes, knowing that the bride will have a one-off gown especially made for them for their special day. It’s a wonderful feeling.
Describe a typical day? I start work at 9.00 a.m. most days. I spend the first part sorting out where everything is at, as I may be working on a number of dresses at the same time. Then I allocate time for each dress, whether it is an alteration or making the whole dress. My day is then planned out, depending on timeframes – for when the dresses are required or to have them ready for a fitting appointment. I mostly do my fitting appointments at the end of each week. At the end of the day, I need to squeeze in the admin and business stuff. There’s a lot to pack in.
What advice would you give an enthusiast who would want to do what you do? If you are really serious about being a fashion designer, you need to get some experience outside New Zealand or in a larger company with known brands. The brands or company you work for need to align with you and your fashion concepts. It is really hard to make your way in New Zealand as a fashion designer without being well grounded and having some experience with successful fashion companies. I’m not sure that my university degree was essential for my journey, however some formal education in design definitely would be essential, maybe a diploma. For those who aren’t exactly sure what part of fashion design they want to pursue, university may help to cement which direction inspires you the most.
What do you find is the most challenging aspect about your job? Balancing the work with the business tasks, especially running the business on my own. Knowing how to do my craft is one thing, knowing how to run and grow the business is another. I like to know exactly what’s going to happen, like in the next three months. However, being in business doesn’t always give you that certainty. Will I have enough work or too much work?
Funniest experience you have seen or been part of in your career? When designing and making one-off gowns for a known individual, we would prepare a mannequin with their dimensions, so we could make the gown to fit the best we could. We were asked to create a long formal daytime gown for a certain Royal (who can’t be named). During the process, that person became pregnant and was well advanced by the time the public outing came along. We had to modify the mannequin by packing it out with foam to best represent the expected size of the expanded front she would have on the day. It was an eye-catching mannequin standing in the middle of our floor!
What do you think the future changes will be in your profession in the next 10 years? We will always have weddings and they will always be very special occasions. Brides will always want to feel special on their wedding day. I expect fashion in general will continually evolve as it has over the past 100 years, and this will be reflected in wedding dresses.
