Letter from a Reader: Bride to Wed in RTW Gown Because of Missing Designer

Image courtesy of www.nitishkumar.net

Dear Fashion PULIS, 

I've been reading your blog ever since the “fashion scam" story. I always read about the designers you feature in your blog whether it is something positive or negative. I would like to request you to publish this story of my closest friend. This friend of mine has saved for almost 10 years just for her dream wedding. Sadly she was betrayed by this designer whom she trusted to provide the gowns on her special wedding.

I will try my best to provide a detailed timeline for you and your readers to have a better picture of the story. Allow me also to post some of the emails of my friend.

December 2010
My close friend got engaged. She and her fiancé set the wedding date on May 15, 2011.

January 2011
They started booking all the wedding suppliers and started scouting for possible designer. Many designers they contacted turned them down because they say they can no longer accommodate them since their wedding date is too near.

February 2011
Through a common friend’s referral they met up with male designer A. Before the initial meeting, my friend tried searching for reviews about his work on various wedding sites. Instead of finding reviews, she found photos of him with celebrities and even came across articles about him winning a certain design competition. These bits of information made her confident that he has a name to protect so most likely she will not have any problems with him. When they met up with him, his initial quote was 120,000 Php for the gowns of the bride, the mothers and the female entourage members but since they were referred by a common friend, he offered to give them a 50% discount. They gave him 30,000 Php as an initial payment for the 60,000 Php agreed package price. He asked for an additional down payment of 10,000 Php and another 6,000 Php for the tuxedo of the groom that cost 12,000 Php. All the measurements were then taken at the groom's place and they set the first fitting on March 15. He told them not to worry and even assured them that it only takes approximately 5 days to complete a tuxedo so there is nothing to worry about.

March 2011
Before the March 15 scheduled first fitting, my friend followed up through text messages, calls and Facebook messages but received no answer from him.

April 1, 2011
With less than 2 months before the wedding date, my friend kept asking when they will get fit the gowns. A answered confidently saying "May 15 pa naman ang wedding mo." When she asked him if she can at least see the lining of the dress, he answered, "Hindi naman ganun kadali gumawa ng gown, and to be honest pang lima bride na kita." Since my friend has been bugging him almost every day, he promised that the gowns will be ready for fitting after holy week. When the family members of the groom found out about this, they were planning to pull out the unfinished gowns and file a legal case. They need the gowns as evidence since A was not able to provide a written contract and sketches which he promised to send through email.

April 26, 2011. The Monday after Holy Week.
They were able to talk to the designer. Again the he rescheduled the first fitting to May 5 considering the wedding date is on May 15. He said he wasn’t able to work during the Holy Week because he was out of town.

Here are the email updates of my friend as the wedding day approaches (in Filipino):

May 1, 2011
Kaloka ang designer ko. May 15 yung wedding ko at May 5 ang fitting ko? Sya rin ang gagawa ng entourage gowns, suit ni husband to be, pati shoes ko. Yung second week of march na napagusapan namin, nauwi na sa May 5. Mali lang talaga ako kasi pumayag ako ng verbal agreement since mababa lang ang singil nya.

Kung maibabalik ko lang, sana naging mapanuri ako, naging mas metikulosa at demanding kung kinakailangan. Masyado ako naging lenient sa designer nay iyan. Natiis kong maghintay sa kanya ng dalawang oras. Ang martir ko grabe! I thought kasi na kapag pinagbigyan ko yung isang tao, ibabalik rin nya sakin yung kabutihan ko at hindi nya ko i-stress.

Ayoko na lang masyado isipin. Akala ng mga tao di ako na-stress. Pero minsan inaatake ako ng lungkot, naiiyak na lang ako bigla.

May 5, 2011
Sa mga nag-aabang sa nangyari sa aking first ever wedding gown fitting, Mineet namin ako ng designer last night. This time, hindi na nya kami pinaghintay ng 2 hours kasi sinabi ko na kailangan ko pang bumalik sa office ng 10pm.

As expected, hindi pa tapos ang lahat ng gowns, yun sa akin lang ang medyo tapos na. Ok yung fit nya sa katawan (buti na lang), yung bandang taas na lang ang maluwag saka yung sleeves pero mukhang madali namang ayusin, wala pa syang mga beadings. Delivery is this coming Saturday night daw. Hopefully totoo nga. In general, ok naman yung mga damit pero di ko pa ma-appreciate kasi wala pang beadings.

Yung kay mother in law, masikip at hindi masara ang zipper. Sinukat nya kaninang umaga ng 6am kasi may pasok pa sa office pero na-late ng konti si A, 7am na sya dumating. Buti naabutan pa nya sa bahay yung mother in law ko. Sandali lang yung fitting kanina, umalis na rin sya kaagad kasi pupunta pa raw
sya ng marikina for my shoes. Yung shoes ko, di pa rin tapos. Sabi niya nagkamali raw ng gawa, nabaliktad daw yung telang ginamit.

Yung tuxedo ni husband to be, hindi pa rin tapos. Sa May 8 pa raw. Nung kausap ko sya last March, sabi nya 5 days lang daw magagawa na yung tuxedo. Anong petsa na ngayon, hindi pa rin tapos? Sana by Sunday matapos na lahat. Sabi pa nya, black yung natahing pants at gray naman yung sa coat, ang galing di ba? Sabi ko dapat terno yung kulay ng coat at pants. Papalitan na lang daw niya.

Yung ibang gowns ng entourage member, saka yung sa mom ko, bukas pa ng umaga ang fitting. Super lagare pero that's his fault. Overbooking siya!

Hindi na ko masyado nagrereact pag may mga kinukwento sya. I want him to think and feel na hindi ako ganoong kabait para unawain sya palagi. Pero di ko rin naman sya maaway kasi nasa kanya pa ang lahat ng gowns. Sana naman maging maganda yung kalabasan ng mga gowns.

Sa lahat ng mga nagpray para sa amin, maraming maraming salamat! Akala ko talaga mag RTW na ako, pero thank God, mukhang aabot yung gown ko.

May 7, 2011
I really feel down right now. Nadeliver na nya yung gown ko just now. When I looked closer, ang dumi! Sabi niya before tahiin, nilabhan na daw yun, pero marumi talaga. May mga marks na parang mancha, basta yung parang lumang luma na yung tela. Di ko napansin nung nagfitting kasi nagmamadali kami at saka hindi ganun kaliwanag ang lighting.

May 8, 2011
We have decided to buy RTW gowns na lang today, mahirap umasa! Pinipilit namin syang tanungin kung anong address nya at pupuntahan namin sya pero ayaw niyang ibigay. Itetext na lang daw nya yung address. Ano bang difference ng ibigay nyya habang magkausap kami sa fone versus thru text? Nagmamakaawa na ako talaga na sabihin nya yung address, pero ayaw nya talaga.

Pinuntahan ng brother ni husband to be yung shop niya sa Q.C. na malapit sa isang T.V station pero closed na! We already knew about that at sabi nung guard na marami nga daw nagpupunta dun na naghahanap sa kanya. Meron pa nga raw doon isang girl na pumunta ng araw na ng kasal nya, wala pa siyang gown. I am wondering kung yung sinabi ng isang designer sa akin na makakadeliver naman si A, late nga lang. Ang ibigsabihin ba ng late ay after the wedding?

I hope magkaka peace of mind na kami pag may nabili na kaming gowns. Ibebenta ko na lang yung mga gown kung idedeliver nya. Next time na namin iisipin kung anong gagawin sa kanya. Waka kasi kaming written contract, nagtiwala kami agad sa kanya at mali talaga kami dun!

Thank you for posting this long story. More power to Fashion PULIS.

Yours truly,
V.J.P.