My dear friend and designer, McCall Wilder of McCall Wilder Couture creates special occasion & casual wear using pure, sustainable fabrics for sizes 0-16, as well as a custom teen & women's line. Her creations are all made & hand-embroidered in Atlanta and are absolutely beautiful and timeless. She was kind enough to share with us her perspective on the art of hand making one-of-a-kind, heirloom quality garments.
When discerning families across the country search for the finest attire, accessories and linens for their little ones, they inevitably find their way to Atlanta and an appointment with McCall Wilder.
McCall Wilder Couture creates bespoke outfits for all the special occasions in a child's life, from Baptisms and weddings to portraiture, and all the many wonderful events in between. The McCall Wilder boutique in Buckhead offers a ready-‐to-‐wear assortment of couture outfits and other goodies. However, the majority of the collection is made-‐to-‐measure year-‐round and also in seasonal offerings following a custom appointment.
From the initial meeting point, McCall and her team spend hours behind the scenes to bring to life what began in collaboration with the client, honing the design, fabric and couture touches.
Bespoke garments start with intricate hand embroidery sketches and McCall’s signature patterns are tailored to meet the exact sizing specifications of each child. Once sketches are approved and patterns are tweaked, the delicate and detailed hand work process begins ... From hand embroidered flower gardens on pure cotton Swiss piqué ... to dainty hand stitched daisy flowers complimenting French lace on the finest Swiss bearissima batiste... to intricate satin stitched dots on butter-‐soft Swiss brushed cotton.
The most detailed designs require two to four weeks from start to finish with the final step being the addition of the finest dressmaker details such as hand pleating, scalloping, rouching, fine French lace, Swiss cotton and organdy trims, true Mother of Pearl buttons and pure silk ribbons. Once the last French seams and hand finishing details are completed, another precious outfit finds its way to its new family and little owner.
Not to be outdone, even the boutique's home and casual collections for children, teens and women offer the same fine details: Pure, sustainable fabrics, custom sizing, hand scalloped or hand finished hems, mother of pearl buttons, hand pleating and ruffles... Making each design a labor of love and an exquisitely finished work of art that will become a staple of the client’s wardrobe.
McCall remarks, “Our designs are getting more detailed and more intricate than ever. Our clients, and families in general, seem to be having a harder and harder time finding gorgeous attire for their children, kids and teens. Every time I think we've done the most complicated gown or dress or outfit ... The embroidery and hand details on the next one are even more extensive!”
Pricing: Custom Dresses in Bearissima Batiste and Custom Button-‐Ons in Baby Flannel start at $400. Casual Wear starts around $150 depending on style, size, and hand-‐embroidery. Tunics start at $150 for Girls and $200 for Women. Custom Ties and Bowties start at $80. Custom Hand-‐Monogramming starts at $50.
Professional Images of Children by Kim Busby Photography www.kimbusbyphotography.com