Every Woman
Is An Original
Beauty
In an Ines Di Santo Gown
By Angela Hoyos
With a pinch of drama, a smidge of
elegance and a dash of sophistication, you
have the perfect recipe for an Ines Di Santo
original. The Toronto-based bridal
couturier spends hundreds of hours
sketching, designing and embellishing her
extravagant gowns. The goal is simple: Di
Santo vows to make every bride look and
feel like a goddess on her wedding day.
“The Ines Di Santo bride is very sophisticated, elegant, classy and discerning of
fabrics and design construction,” she says.
Raised in Argentina, Di Santo carries an
element of romanticism in her designs. She
also upholds the old school mentality of
quality and beauty over mass production.
“I only use European silks, lace and high
quality embroideries and beading.”
Di Santo is passionate about materials,
but a strong attention to detail has been
the greatest factor of her success. “I have
always been a perfectionist,” Di Santo says
of managing the design and production
process. “It must fit like a glove and look
that way, too.”
Catering to an array of clients, from
socialites and celebrities to your everyday
woman, each dress must follow the Di
Santo staple of quality, beauty and
uniqueness. Di Santo’s star-studded list
includes Kim and Roberto Alomar,
Courtney Mazza and Mario Lopez.
Brides-to-be can choose from more than
60 couture gowns, which can be altered to
suit any body type with personal flair.
Di Santo was only five years old when she
made her first garment. “It started with
me making dresses for my dolls and my
younger sister,” she says of her favourite
muses. “All my life, fashion pulsed through
my veins. Everything I saw inspired me, in
some way or another, to create a garment
or to paint textiles.”
The designer inherited the creative gene
from her parents who were also talented
artists. Her mother was a tailor of men’s
silk dress shirts while her father worked at
a printing house and was responsible for
creating magazine covers. The arts played
a huge role in Di Santo’s childhood, which
she describes as “colourful.” She enjoyed
attending the theatre, visiting museums
and spending time outdoors. When Di
Santo entered her teen years, she discovered an impeccable taste for fashion. The
designer enrolled at an art school in
Buenos Aires, where she honed her skills
and opted to focus on couture.
Inspired and motivated to launch herself
on an international stage, Di Santo moved
to Canada at 23 to pursue her fashion
career. With little money, but big dreams,
her goal was to open a boutique. After
asking her bank manager for a business
loan, she organized a fashion show at Casa
Loma to promote the opening of her first
atelier, Chez Moi.
While the road to success was often
difficult, Di Santo’s motivation and passion
kept her going. Fashion had become her
life and she wasn’t going to let it slip away.
“I had no real expectations and was constantly impressed with the opportunities I
was given by people to create outfits,” Di
Santo says of her recognition to date.
When Di Santo isn’t in her Toronto studio,
she’s painting with water colours, visiting
art galleries or in the great outdoors. Today,
you’ll find Di Santo sketching away in her
design room. As she continues to dream up
fairy tale-like gowns, she also shares trends
for the upcoming season. For brides looking for the perfect dress, Di Santo suggests
designs with a dramatic back, soft fabrics
and bold features like a slit or a peplum.