Tell us about your business, its history, and how you build customer loyalty.
Claire’s collection was founded to fit the niche market of couture quality, one-of-a-kind evening gowns that are “wearable art.” The use of sophisticated fabrics, including chantilly lace, washed silks, etc., and hand-beaded embellishments makes the collection truly unique in design, silhouette, and overall look. International travel to textile shows, art viewings, and multi-themed inspirations, from the whimsical to the sober, make every seasonal collection diverse and varied. We are always working toward making cutting-edge innovations in this arena, where the lastest technology, whether in the fabric weaving or multi-faceting of stones, helps move us forward into more advanced areas of couture. We constanlty strive to achieve nuances of subtle sophistication and give our clients the most beautiful gowns possible.

Who is your main designer or designers?
Rita Mezrahi, Dinesh Chandrasena, and Daniel Mezrahi. We have a creative team of collaborators, with Rita serving as creative director and Dinesh as designer.

What divisions (e.g., Prom, Pageant, Social Occasion, Bridal, etc.) do you design for and market?
We carry pageant gowns, which gives the client the unique opportunity to get exactly what she desires in fabric, silhouette, and style; couture special occasion gowns, which are geared to celebrity clientelle; and couture made-to-order bridal fashions. Our celebrity gowns (worn by the likes of Sandra Bullock, Cindy Crawford, Halle Berry, and Shania Twain, to name a few) are usually the pièce de résistance of the collections.

What size ranges do you offer?
Custom sizes, and 0 – XL.

Please identify characteristics about your designs and business services that you are known for.
Claire Mezrahi, the founder of the company, wanted to create a company that would offer the most varied and beautiful gowns to clients who want unique and one-of-a-kind creations. Her daughter Rita Mezrahi, whose love of fashion proved a huge asset, took over the reigns of the company, and today she oversees the direction of the collections, making innovative decisions that move the company forward to greater heights of creativity.

How do you keep your design ideas current?
The arts, including the ballet and theater, are a huge inspiration. Seeing the most beautiful costumes and feeling the mood of a production — whether it be Sleeping Beauty by the Royal Ballet in London, seeing Macbeth, with its darkly grand and almost overpowering costumes — serves as great inspiration for us. International travel to sun-drenched Portofino, Italy, mythical Rome, innovative London, and the mecca of couture, Paris, makes for diverse looks, trims, and colors being introduced into the collections. Vintage movies — such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Sabrina, where the waif-like presence of Audrey Hepburn seems to epitomize high elegance and inborn style, and Gilda, a classic in which Rita Hayworth simply exudes sensuality — all serve to inspire us. Great photo works from Demachellier and Lebowitz, together with vintage couturiers like Jean Lanvin, Christobal Balenciaga, and Paul Poiret, show us that great styles are simply timeless. They all serve as inspiration for our collections.

What fashion looks and fabric-usage trends do you predict will emerge in the coming year or two?
As a whole, the fashion industry is moving into being more individualized and customer-oriented than ever.

What aspects of the fashion business bring you the greatest satisfaction?
The satisfaction of creating beautiful gowns that makes our clients “winners” in every arena is something that makes the entire process truly rewarding!

Claire’s Collection
established 1984

110 East 9th St., A375
Los Angeles, CA 90079
Daniel Mezrahi
clairescollection.com
213-623-8553