Always and Forever Bridal International
Always and Forever Bridal International sits on Level 1 of 340 Collins Street, in the middle of Melbourne’s fashion precinct.
Bridal Dress Stores · Melbourne, Victoria · Visit in person
Raffaele Ciuca has been dressing Melbourne brides since 1956 and is now in its fourth generation. The story starts in L’Aquila, Italy, where a master tailor delivered fine suits across Abruzzo by bicycle before leaving for Melbourne in 1954; by 1956 he and his wife Tina had a small atelier here, and gowns gradually became the whole business. Seventy years on it runs two boutiques and a separate alterations atelier, and the tailoring origin still shows - the alterations room is treated as a named part of the house rather than an add-on.
The house describes the selection as chosen for craftsmanship and perspective rather than breadth, and the range spans Renaissance-inspired ornament through to sharply modern couture.
The bride who wants Vera Wang or Vivienne Westwood in Melbourne, and the bride who cares what happens after the gown is chosen. The Alterations Atelier is a separate address with its own staff, descended directly from the family’s tailoring trade. There is also a Sample Studio at Brunswick - an ex-sample sale space that the house specifically recommends for short turnarounds, which is a real answer for a bride who has months rather than a year.
Two boutiques, both open Monday to Wednesday 10am-5pm, Thursday 10am-8pm, Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday 9am-5pm. Brunswick - 441-443 Sydney Road, (03) 9380 4044 - is the original and the larger of the two, and houses the Sample Studio. Armadale - 1088 High Street, (03) 9509 8731 - is the intimate one, designed for one-on-one appointments, and houses the Luxury Bridal Suite. The Alterations Atelier is a third address: 320 Victoria Street, Brunswick, (03) 9387 0700. No prices, size range or lead times are published - expect those at the appointment.
Seventy years and four generations, with the workroom still in the business. This is the oldest bridal house in the database by decades, and unusually it publishes its own archive - photographs of the 1950s and 60s tailoring floor, the fabric room, the family at work. Most boutiques sell you a gown; this one can show you the sewing machines its founder bought.
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Always and Forever Bridal International sits on Level 1 of 340 Collins Street, in the middle of Melbourne’s fashion precinct.
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