By Denise Oliveira
Mika Inatome is a celebrated New York-based designer of slim gowns for brides all over the world. Born in Japan, she moved to Long Island when she was 16 years old. I spoke with her recently, and what follows is an edited excerpt of the interview.
What is a typical day for you?
I get in around 9 am. Though sometimes I have to come in at 7 am. Whatever it takes. I work better in the morning. I deal with a lot of detail, and I can see better then. I’m not a night owl. I have appointments with new clients, then some fittings, and then I’m making patterns and dresses. At night I go to Broadway shows, or opera, symphony, theatre or dance. Anything that’s inspiring. I love to see the ballet, and if I have time on weekends, I go to museums.
How do you and your brides communicate about the look of their dress?
Usually they can tell me what they want. Some of them can’t describe it, so I ask them to bring me pictures, or to describe the kinds of things they do and don’t like. I also show them pictures of my other brides, I’ve made over 5,000 dresses. I think it’s easier to relate to what another bride looked like than to a picture of a model who is 6 feet tall and wearing 5 inch heels. Some brides just trust me to do what I think will look good on them. I use my iPad SketchBook to show them what I have in mind. I really want their day to be worry-free, I don’t want them having to think about whether their dress will wrinkle. There are two types of brides. There are the ones who want to be the center of attention at their wedding, to be a princess, and they have 5 or 6 friends doing things for them. But most of my brides are not like that. They want to have a nice party to introduce the two families. It’s their celebration, and I want to make sure it’s very easy for them.
Where did you learn to design gowns?
I didn’t study design. I went to university and studied business, marketing and accounting. I thought I was going into the business world, my family has been in the textile business for over 100 years. I’ve always loved fabrics and clothing, and while I was studying I was an agent for a Japanese bridal designer, I represented her line in the United States. If something went wrong with a dress, I couldn’t send it back to Japan, so I started fixing them. Later I went to the Fashion Technology Institute to learn drawing. Now I even sew. Most designers just draw out the pictures but I don’t believe in that. If you’re calling yourself a designer, you have to do everything.
Do you go to a lot of weddings?
I get so many invites from my brides and I go to about 3 or 4 a year. I can’t relax when I’m there, because I keep thinking about the dress!
What’s the most fun you’ve had making a dress?
I really love every single moment. Lately I’m really into detachable designs where you actually have two dresses, an overlay dress and just a simple dress underneath. They’re really fun to make. You might have an elaborate big dress, but it can become a mini-skirt; when you have a big skirt you can’t dance very well. A lot of people wear different dresses to the ceremony and the reception, but I don’t believe in that. I really want my brides to wear one gown.
What makes a wedding really great?
Weddings have to be a reflection of the couples’ personality, and they have to involve the groom also, not just the bride. It has to be a collaboration; this is the beginning of their marriage! It’s not so great when the bride is producing the whole thing.
What do you like to read?
Mostly magazines like Bloomberg and Newsweek, and definitely The New York Times online.
If you weren’t a gown designer, what would you do?
I’d be in finance, I’m really good with numbers.
