Softwear engineer turns bridal designer

by Zanita Careem

AMORINE is Hasanthi Hapugoda’s brand label established in 2017 and I specialized in couture, custom made bridals and designer wear. The Term “Amorine derives from Latin word Love. Love is beautiful and this term has a strong feeling

.I have my own designer studio where customers can and discuss details of their preferences/likes and dislikes regarding the bridal or designer wear because every girl has a dream/ idea of what they want. So I always listen to them in order to understand what my clients really want from me before customizing their designer outfit in a way it suits them. . One of the unique factors that sets AMORINE apart from others is that each designer saree is truly one of a kind.

Little bit about myself and experience

My name is Hasanthi Hapugoda. I studied at Musaeus College Colombo 7 until O/Ls and did advanced level in Gateway International School-Colombo. For my higher studies I graduated from Staffordshire University, UK majoring in BSc (Hons) Business Information Technology in 2012.

After graduating from College, I was recruited as a software QA engineer by one of the leading software company in sri lanka. After few years I joined and worked as senior software QA Engineer and a QA project lead in a Singapore based IT Company.

After completing over four years in the IT industry, I thought of stepping down from my IT career and pursuing my childhood dream of becoming an entrepreneur in the fashion Industry. It was indeed a big decision and every day is a learning experience for me. For me everyday was a another day I learnt new ideas, inspiration related to the fashion industry. With four years of experience I became a self taught designer

Describe the Hasanthi bride?

The Hasanthi bride is original with a sophisticated, tasteful style. She looks for the perfect combination of quality and originality and is not swayed by momentary trends. 

Tell us about your design process. What are your first steps when designing a new collection? How long does it take for your ideas to come to fruition?

Several months before starting the design process, I create a mood board for inspiration. I then sketch out the silhouettes I want to include in the collection. My head pattern maker and I work together to bring these silhouettes to life with muslin fittings. In my opinion, this is the most important part of the process because this is where we will make adjustments to perfect the initial shape and fit of the gown. Once finalized, the muslins become the blueprint of what will come next.I then sketch out embroidery layouts directly on to the pattern, and these layouts are meticulously detailed and are often sketched several times to align perfectly with the curves of the body.

On average, the entire process takes about three to four months.

What do you think are the most important aspects for a bride to consider when choosing her wedding gown?

I think every bride has some type of vision for how she wants to look on her wedding day. When you do dress shopping, I think it is important for her to be open-minded and to try on various styles. Sometimes the bride ends up with a completely different silhouette or style then what she originally had in mind. So when shopping for a garment as special as your wedding dress, trusting your consultant is key! 

There are several aspects of your designs that set you apart from other designers, such as offering custom options and producing all your beadwork by hand. What made these decisions so important when you began creating your own designs?

A wedding is a very personalized event for a bride and groom. With a sea of options to choose from, a bride may fall in love with different aspects of several different dresses, or she may want to customize a gown to make it uniquely hers. I believe a wedding gown is one of the most important garments a woman will ever wear, and it should be nothing short of exactly how she wants it. 

Where do you look for inspiration?

Inspiration comes in many ways for me. I get inspired when I watch fashion shows and read magazines to keep up with the trends

Are there any current or upcoming trends you are excited to include in your designs?

Yes! I want to add different elements, like draping, pleating, and beading to the dresses and bring them together seamlessly. 

Can you give us any details for what you have in store for your next collection?

We plan on incorporating wow factors that may not be noticeable at first glance! 

Tell us about your beginnings and what made you to enter the world bridal fashion?

I’m very fond and passionate about fashion. I believe fashion is an integral part of a woman’s life and they deserve to easily understand what’s best for them and what colours enhance their beauty. I also believe that every girl should try different trends rather than ignoring it, it really improves the quality of life naturally. As fashion designing and dressmaking has been my hobby since childhood. As a little girl I collected small pieces of fabric and stitched beautiful clothes for my dolls. I still remember how my parents would praise my creations and tell how creative I was. And back then when I was small my mom used to design sarees as well, that was her hobby. So I got the exposure in this area and I loved it when I was small.

I designed my first saree in the year 2014 just for fun. At that time, I was working in one of the leading software company as a software engineer. It came out really nice and I was able to sell it just within a day. Later on I began designing customized designer sarees for my family, friends and office colleagues. However, at that time, it was difficult for me to meet the demand as I was also working fulltime. My aim was to start my own designer collection one day as an entrepreneur. And today I’m happy that I have been able to achieve my dream.

My designs speak volumes for the bride. Less is more is my design philosophy

Most of my designs unique but I love to mix different color combinations and create new designs. I have not restricted myself in how or what inspires me. I don’t get inspired by only one thing but by all the beautiful things around me. It is more like creating magic with different fabrics, colors, shapes, all the hand embellishments are created with so much emphasis and with much effort

Being a wedding dress designer. What part do you enjoy most?

There is a saying from ‘Marc Anthony’ if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. This is a passion for me than a job. I love what I do. And always my motivation has been the feedback of my clients. When I do a design and made it to a perfection with love and care, and when the client is happy, it’s more like a self-satisfaction that you can’t buy for money. It motivates me to do more and more.

What is your collection called and why?

I always believe that customers are kings Everybody dream s of a beautiful bride when you are young So we should give them a chance to decide what she wants.. Be their style modern, traditional, western, classic romantic or contemporary we will always work with them closely from start to finish through custom sketches, attention to details to bring out the best suited designer bridal and also our designer outfits ,which are made with quality materials but it should have a memorable impression.

What is the best advice you give a bride?

I always tell my brides to follow their instinct, dream or ideas throughout the selection of their wedding outfit. Always listen to your heart in what you like rather than sticking to a trend or what someone else wants. A bride should feel that she’s wearing the perfect dress which makes her feel confidant and beautiful.

I love to do Batik bridals depicting our culture ,the fauna and flora.

The biggest challenges I faced?

The biggest challenge I faced was to establish a customer base apart from my family, cousins and friends when I first started my label in 2017. Designing bridal sarees was a big challenge when we had established designers . Stiff competition and many challenges and obstacles I had to build a certain level of trust and confidence among my clients. That was challenging but I overcame all impedimentsthat within a short period of time.

I would like to specially mention my supportive family who helped me to make my dreams come true and encouraged me to make my cSareer transition.

hasi.hapugoda@gmail.com