My order

May 11th:
The first batch of dresses arrived from Vietnam just after Easter. The girls lucky enough to find their dress in the first batch were able to fit it and give it in for any needed adjustments in Magdalene College on the 27th of April. 
Currently, the second batch of dresses is being shipped and are expected to arrive in Cambridge by Friday the 13th of May. We are hoping to schedule another fitting session on Monday the 16th of May.

March 21st:

We have had an overwhelming interest during both of our measure sessions. Many of you visited us with their own brilliant design or adapted a stunning evening gown they had seen in a magazine or on film. 

The first dress designs have already been sent over to Vietnam and are currently being made.

We expect the dresses to come in at the beginning of Exam term. Until then, check back on our website for useful updates on the dress orders or contact us on our email address: alora.sife@gmail.com. 

Apart from delivering the dresses in Cambridge, we are also planning an adjustment session in May. The date(s) for this has not been set yet, but we are hoping to do so as soon as possible.

Upcoming events!

Upcoming design-and-measure sessions:

Friday March 4th, 18.00-20.00, Magdalene College - Buckingham Room

Sunday March 13th, 12.30-14.30, Magdalene College - Buckingham Room

The major May Balls are selling out already! So come down to Magdalene for the opportunity to discuss your ideal design and order your 2011 May Ball dress. 

Please try to come up with your own design, either from a magazine or from your imagination and bring your design to our session. We will take you through the ordering process, take your measurements and discuss any questions you might have (along with a cup of tea). Feel free to contact us for more information in advance! 

How to get to the Buckingham Room? Have a look here for Magdalene's college map:
http://www.magd.cam.ac.uk/images/graphics/large/CollegeMap.jpg

Patterns: pictures

To guarantee your own unique dress, various patterns are available for the dresses.

A selection of these is shown below: more patterns are available at our design-and-measure sessions!

--Plain colours from our colour palette

Choices from the elaborate Vietnamese silk selection

 
                                                         

Materials: silk, satin and more

Silk

This material, guarded by the Chinese out of fear of execution for more than 7000 years has been desired by the entire world for millennia. It was used as currency in China, caused economic problems in ancient Rome,  distinguished the commoners from the nobility in Medieval times and remains a craved commodity. The complex process of production requires care and attention to detail starting with the growing of the silk worms and ending with the manual weaving. It is an elegant material that can come in different thickness and any imaginable embroidery. It keeps your body warm in the cold and cool at high temperatures. It is a shiny, non-slippery, strong material, perfect for simple-cut dresses, excelling through detailed embroidery.

Taffeta

This is a starched cloth that holds its shape, thus being used for corsets and dresses with a particular form, different from that of the body. Its lustrous, glimmer confer it a metallic, watery inflections from which its elegance stems.  Being stiff and crisp, taffeta can be used to create elaborate necklines and rims.

Chiffon

A lightweight, balanced, semi-transparent material. It is used either in layers or in conjecture with other material. Being smooth and delicate, it gives the dress an elegant, floating appearance. This material is perfect for free-flowing gowns as it will react to any movement you will make. Chiffon is strong for its weight and has a lustrous quality desirable for evening wear.

Satin

A smooth material with high lustre, which can be woven in various patterns, offering it texture. It varies in weight and flexibility, however it is a rather heavy material that will fall nicely into place and move along with your body. Satin can be on-sided or two-sided regarding its lustre, the former being preferred as it provides both an elegant look and a pleasant, smooth feel against the skin.

Project background

The garment and textile industry is an upcoming industry in Vietnam which mainly delivers mass-produced clothing for export. Employees of mass-production factories, largely women, are often underpaid, despite their long hours and their working conditions are routinely poor. Custom-made products provide an alternative. They require higher skill levels and experience of the tailor and are of supreme quality compared to mass-produced garments. In addition, tailors receive a fairer reward for their custom-made clothing, although the pieces remain competitively priced for European standards. By working as a tailor, women are able to support themselves and their family which is especially important for vulnerable groups that face social stigma, such as those infected with HIV, victims of abuse and domestic violence and the disabled. Alora Dresses aims to support the custom-made industry in Vietnam by providing an export market for a particular group of Vietnamese tailors. 

Ms Yen, the head tailor for the Alora Project, is an example of a woman who has thrived in the custom-made industry. Starting out as a small, independent tailor, Ms Yen slowly built up her tailor-made business to become one of the most reputable tailor shops in Hanoi. Her business helped her to escape poverty and to acquire the skills of running a business. She now has a shop in Hanoi’s central district, selling high-quality silk, Vietnamese designs and tailor-made outfits with customers from across Vietnam and foreign tourists who visit Vietnam. She now employs a variety of tailors, providing them with hands-on experience.

The Alora Project, which falls under the organisation of SIFE Cambridge - Students in Free Enterprise - aims to help more women in Vietnam, like Ms Yen, to succeed from the garment industry. The proceeds of the project will go towards a capacity building program for vulnerable women searching to work in the custom-made garment industry. Alora wishes to increase the skill level, knowledge and experience of these women by providing training and machinery. Through this, Alora seeks to expand their repertoire and empower them with the skills of working in a more sustainable and profitable environment.

The team

Chit Nguyen (Nmn23@cam.ac.uk)

is reading Politics, Psychology and Sociology at  Magdalene College. She´s from Vietnam where she has previously worked on a number of student-run initiatives including youth seminars, social entrepreneurship competitions and projects aimed at raising awareness. During her gap year she researched international trade in Vietnam and became really interested in the garment industry. Afterwards she had the opportunity to meet with many different groups of tailors including those with HIV/AIDs and special needs and was struck by their talent and determination: "I really hope that Alora can contribute in some ways to helping to create more opportunities for these women". Feel free to contact Chit with any questions on the project or the Vietnamese tailors. 

Suhang Jiang (sj383@cam.ac.uk) 

is doing an Mphil in Research in Second Language Education in the Faculty of Education. Designing fancy dresses has been a childhood dream for her although this is her first experience in the actual fashion world. "This project is very intriguing since it binds together two distant friends, fashion and charity". She is passionate about empowering women, both by getting them their uniquely styled dresses as well as funding talented tailors. She'd be more than happy to answer any questions you might have on the project.  

Ivanka Bloom (ib316@cam.ac.uk)

Currently studies Social and Developmental Psychology (MPhil) at Sidney Sussex after graduating from the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands. Previous experience with development work includes teaching in Cape Town and co-organising exhibitions of photography of youth from the townships of Johannesburg. She has attended various balls across Europe, with the absolute highlight being the “Valentine Ball” in the medieval castle of Heidelberg, Germany. She is looking forward to supplying Cambridge’s ladies with dresses of unrivalled quality. 

Roger Lightwood (ral67@cam.ac.uk)

Also many thanks to Emily Winstanley for fulfilling the active role of SIFE's publicity officer and bringing attention to Alora through various media.

Welcome to Alora Bespoke Dressmaking

Although summer still feels far away and the burden of essays is weighing down upon our shoulders, the May Ball season is definitely approaching. And what will you be wearing?

The coming term, Alora Bespoke Dressmaking will be active around Cambridge to offer unique, tailor-made dresses. We work with tailors from Vietnam who use high-quality silk and tafta for their work. They are able to tailor-make your design or alternatively, you can choose from several of the designs and a variety of patterns for your May Ball dress. During a number of sessions in Lent term, we will show the patterns, take measurements and handle orders.

Not only are the tailor-made dresses unique and of high quality, they also support local communities in Hanoi, Vietnam. The project aims to stimulate the work of some of Vietnam's tailors by providing them with a new market for their sales. In addition, all profits of the project will go into a fund for skills training of future tailors. 

On this website, we will be displaying a selection of the designs and patterns available. You can also find more information about the background of the project, the tailors and their materials. Finally, we will be updating the website with details of the dates and venues for our walk-in sessions. 

Do make sure to check back for our regular updates!