Late in February, bridal designer Ou Ma presented her vision of love and beauty through an invite-only event that showcased her latest designs for O M Couture. Upon arrival, guests were greeted by friendly hosts, champagne, and a candlelit room decorated with beautiful floral arrangements by Everly Fleur. The setting was intimate, and it was among local bloggers that shared the designer’s diligence and passion. The event was to celebrate the launch of O M Couture’s 2020 Collection, and Ma’s garments inspired awe in the guests.
The designer was born in Beijing, China, graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and finished school with honours that lead her to a presentation at New York Fashion Week. Almost immediately, Ma was recruited for established fashion houses such as Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. She has dressed celebrities such as Anne Hathaway and Kate Winslet, and she was also featured in major publications such as Vogue Italia, Women’s Wear Daily, and NYMag.com. Although her specialty is knitwear, the designer often reminisced about her childhood when she drew evening wear and wedding dresses for herself and her friends. She was passionate about custom design, and eventually, she found success as a business owner when she opened her studio in Vancouver’s Gastown, focusing her design on bridalwear.
At the start of the event, Ma encouraged guests to interact with her garments to understand the quality and details that she had incorporated into every piece. The model wore O M Couture’s iteration of modern wedding attire. It had the structure of a suit from the front and a detachable train in the back, which created the illusion of a dress from behind. Ma’s design gave the wearer the benefit of mobility without compromising the image of elegance. The look was a combination of the Isa Top paired with Ma’s classic cigarette Heather Pants in white satin.
The Isa Top was detailed with beaded lace, a trail of buttons for fastening at the front, and sheer puffed sleeves, which is on-trend for the season. Also, the bride will have the option to lower the sleeves onto her shoulders. The garment was finished with hand-sewn appliques of small white flowers against the gathered hem of the sleeve.
“I need to fall in love with every dress that I make,” Ma said. Each piece a challenge of delicate finishing work and design intricacy. Whether it was hand-sewn beading or white tulle layered atop shades of pink to achieve the best shade of blush, she conveyed her dedication to her work with careful deliberation.
The evening was seamlessly produced by Ciel Creative Marketing, dinner was plantbased and prepared Boy With A Knife, and for an added personal touch, Ma created bridal wear illustrations for each guest, which combined her vision with details gleaned from the guest’s social media accounts.
The O M Couture Collection visually embodies Ou Ma’s growth as a bridal designer. For her 2020 collection, she experimented with contemporary structures and classical silhouettes and retained the strength and grace of a modern woman.
Author Profile
- Roena Ong is a fashion stylist, creative director, and freelance writer for EcoLuxLuv Comms. She lives for creating editorial shoots with forward-thinking business owners and entrepreneurs. On her days off, she’s often found at the gym, or visiting her favourite boutiques and cafe’s.
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