The most extravagant outfit most people get to wear in their lifetime is that of their wedding day. There’s something about the joys of matrimony that permit us to indulge in high-end, tailor-made garments in a way we would never dream of doing for other special occasions. 

Rachel Scott, of Edinburgh’s Rachel Scott Couture, has been working with brides for nearly two decades after attending Heriot Watt’s School Of Textiles And Design in Galashiels where she fell in love with the science of fibres, fabrics and yarn. ‘Most of the people that were on my course ended up either doing forensic science or working in the Ministry Of Defence making parachutes and bulletproof vests. So I took a slight tangent when I saw there was an opportunity in bridal,’ Scott says, laughing.

Scott has long been the only Scottish retailer to work closely with fashion houses like Vivienne Westwood, Suzanne Neville and Alice Temperley in her bridal business on Dundas Street, but this year she’s determined to replicate this service in a second non-bridal Queensferry Street location. Here she is stocking a range of specialist jewellery and Miller Harris scents, alongside offering a wider selection of gowns for any occasion. ‘Now our clients won’t have to go to London, directly to the designers, to get something so bespoke.’ After an initial private appointment, Scott and her team help customers piece together the construction, fabric and fit of their garment from scratch, a process which can take up to five months. ‘I like that it’s the opposite of fast fashion. Everything is really considered, really thought out,’ she says. 

Whether a garment is commissioned for a single event or as a wardrobe staple, having it made-to-measure ensures minimal waste for the atelier and long-lasting quality for the customer. ‘Going back to bridal, that’s often the most considered purchase you'll ever make and you only wear it on one day. [An occasion piece] is obviously going to be an investment but it’s also going to have real integrity behind it and be absolutely perfect for your needs.’ 

Rachel Scott Couture, 19 Queensferry Street, Edinburgh.