Traditional & modern wear, made to measure
Mushanana for the traditional ceremonies and a modern second look for the church and reception — cut and fitted for you, and for the women who stand beside you.
It is a flowing garment, wrapped and pinned rather than constructed — and it is almost never worn alone. The bride’s mothers, sisters and attendants are usually dressed with her, which turns a single fitting into a coordinated set of them. Getting the palette to hold together across a group, in the light of the actual room, is the real work.
Most Rwandan brides wear a mushanana for the traditional ceremony and a Western-style gown for the church and reception. Handled badly, that reads as two different brides. Handled well, the second look answers the first — a colour carried through, a line echoed — so the day reads as one story.
Measurements taken months before a wedding are measurements taken of a different person. We fit, and then we fit again closer to the day.
Across the sequence
Begin
Whether the date is set or you are still counting rooms, the first conversation costs nothing and usually clears a great deal up.