A wedding is a special day, arguably the most special day in a woman’s life.
She will spend months planning the perfect seating chart, the best centerpieces and a menu to accommodate the one vegan person in her family.
But what is the absolute most important thing, other than the groom, to a woman on this day? The dress.
One couture company, which got its start in Phoenix, creates custom dresses for the bride-to-be.
Jennyvi Dizon Couture, headed by its namesake Jennyvi Dizon and her apprentice and ASU alumna Shireen Dooling, specializes in wedding gowns and formal wear.
Dizon says she was always interested in fashion and got her start when she was very young.
“When I was 5 [years old], I was making clothes for my Barbie’s,” Dizon says laughing. “My first big design accomplishment was for my mom’s costume office party, where she was a chicken and won a prize for the chicken costume I designed.”
Dizon went to Phoenix College to get her degree in fashion design, but she says she was making dresses long before her degree.
"I would make prom dresses for my friends and for other people but my first real client was my friend who was getting married about ten years ago," Dizon says.
Dizon says she founded Jennyvi Dizon Couture in 2004. Last year marked the decade anniversary for her business.
At age 33, Dizon says she went to New York in 2013 because she "wasn't getting any younger," and an opportunity arose. Once there, she says she fell in love with the city.
Before deciding to move to New York permanently she took on an apprentice, Dooling, whose graphic design work she had seen on Facebook.
Dizon says Dooling runs the Phoenix business while she works in New York.
"I wanted to keep my clients here in Phoenix, and Phoenix is home for me so I don't want to not have my business here," Dizon says.
Dooling graduated from ASU in May 2013 with a degree in graphic design.
"I wanted to be able to market myself," Dooling says. "I wanted to make a bridge for myself and for others because there are so many people in Phoenix with great potential but they don't know how to market themselves."
Dooling designs and creates gowns for Jennyvi Dizon Couture here in Phoenix now and says it's been an "amazing experience."
Dooling says she has had some amazing opportunities working under Dizon, such as her own line showing in New York at fashion week this past year.
"It was amazing," Dooling says. "It was the first time I had ever shown my line at a fashion week and I wouldn't have been able to do that without Jennyvi."
"It was an incredible feeling to walk out after the show with the models wearing my clothes, it was truly indescribable and I can't thank Jennyvi enough for giving me that," Dooling says.
Dizon is making her move to New York permanent this spring as she says her husband will now be joining her. She says she aspires to grow her line in New York and dabble in the business of evening gowns.
"New York is a different scene," Dizon says. "I am really starting over fresh there."
"My dream is to have an all-in-one boutique where clients can come in and get fitted and the dresses are made in the back," Dizon says. "So hopefully one day we can make that happen."
Daisey Salamanca had her wedding dress designed by Dooling and said she highly recommends both women for their incredible designs.
Salamanca says Dooling made her feel comfortable throughout the process and was kind and helpful from beginning to end. "She was great at keeping in touch with me and working with my schedule throughout the process of getting my dress made," Salamanca says. "She made sure to design and make the dress how I wanted it to look and fit."
"I definitely would go back to her for future dress, and even clothes, designs," Salamanca says.
Dizon's new line, "Monument by Jennyvi," will debut during New York Fashion Week February 19, 2015.
Dooling's new line "Jennyvi by Shireen Dooling" debuted during the Scottsdale Wedding Walk January 4, 2015 and will show in the New York Fashion Week February 19, 2015.
Reach the reporter at Alexa.Dangelo@asu.edu or via Twitter @andangelo15.
