The new Docklands studio teaching the secrets of haute couture designs

Fashion and accessory designer Vivi Huang has arrived at The District with Décembre Studio (December Studio), bringing with her many years of experience studying haute couture women’s wear in Paris.

Décembre Studio is for craft lovers and fashion enthusiasts and specialises in teaching people the unique technique of French embroidery and artistic cloth flowers.

“This craft technology is mostly used in senior dress, too far away from our daily life, so I set up Décembre Studio because I wanted to use this craft to design and make various accessories or decorative art that can be integrated into our daily life,” Vivi told Docklands News.

Vivi was first introduced to these delicate processes when she studied in Paris from 2002 to 2007, and then, upon finishing her studies, she returned to Shanghai where she had the studio, before moving to Docklands in 2019.

It wasn’t until April this year that Vivi said she was “lucky enough to find a suitable venue” in The District where she could “continue to do beautiful things from a new beginning”.

Due to the high prices associated with haute couture pieces, Vivi enjoys teaching people the processes behind the fine craft and encourages everyone to become a designer in the studio.

“We have developed some interesting and professional systematic courses and workshops to teach individuals and groups, and to share and spread the production process so that everyone can understand,” Vivi said.

The guests to the studio include students majoring in design, husbands making gifts for their wives, people embroidering souvenirs for their pets, and grooms and brides who are full of expectations for their future life.

There are various types of bead embroidery and fabric flower courses conducted at the studio, ranging from beginner level to more advanced.

The studio comes with all the tools and materials you will need to complete your own unique work, and Vivi will be there each step of the way to guide you through it.

Speaking about the opportunity to help people create and capture memories through the designs, Vivi said, “this is a beautiful career, and I can feel everyone’s love for life”.

“Doing something about beauty every day, using shining embroidery materials and embroidery threads of various colours, and designing patterns and creating new works all makes me feel full of happiness,” Vivi said.

“Especially when I see the joy and sense of achievement of the guests after they complete their desired works through learning. This work is significant for me, and I believe everyone is a designer, a designer of their own life.”

In addition to the classes, Décembre Studio also has a number of products around the store that can be purchased, and the studio also accepts customised clothing, gifts, and decoration requests.

Décembre Studio is found at 11 Wharf St at The District Docklands. •

For more information: decemberhandcraft.com