She's Penticton's newest tailor.
And for Adriana Pietroianu, her love affair with the art form began while she was still a preschooler.
"I was born in Romania," said Pietroianu when we stopped by her freshly-opened Main Street shop earlier this summer. "I grew up with my Grandma, who was a tailor herself, and I've been sewing since I was four."
Amidst the thread spools and the mannequins and the background music straight out of a Parisian café, Pietroianu continued.
"Some of my earliest memories are watching my Grandma and how she took shapeless pieces of fabric and made form-fitting garments out of them," she explained.
"I was so fascinated that I’d actually steal her scrap fabric. And I'd climb up the ladder to the attic and make clothes for the one doll I had. My younger boy cousin was my assistant."
That fascination never dissipated.
Becoming a master tailor
By the time she was 16, Pietroianu was a professional tailor herself. And in her 20s, having relocated to Vancouver, she'd already managed several of her own fashion shows and participated in significant events like Vancouver Fashion Week.
She eventually opened an office in the heart of downtown, on West Georgia Street. She almost made the final cut for the hit TV show Project Runway Canada. And she'd risen to the lofty rank of "master tailor," with a client list that included numerous high-profile personalities.
So it was with some fanfare when the talented Pietroianu, returning to Penticton after living here briefly years earlier, debuted "The Couturess" at 535 Main Street this past June.
"I didn’t think I would open up a store this fast in my life, but the opportunity presented itself and everything just started lining up," she said. "It was literally a dream come true."
The opening followed not long after her beloved Grandma said her final goodbye.
"She passed away in early April," said Pietroianu. "And that's just about the same time I acquired my shop.
"It was almost serendipitous because it felt like she gave me a push. I even wrote about it on my website."
Anything is possible
So just what can a master tailor like The Couturess do?
"Basically, I can make anything from the ground up, from initial sketch to final product," said Pietroianu. "Dresses, shirts, fur coats, bathing suits – there's nothing I can’t do."
"For instance, if you have a favourite pair of pants that are old and worn out, I can make them into a pattern and recreate the garment exactly. Or if you want something from scratch, I can do that.
"And it'll last. The quality's not just in the fabric, but in the sewing."
She'll upcycle too, repurposing garments by modernizing their style.
She especially loves working with natural fabrics, saying they're more durable than synthetics and a healthier choice for both the body and the environment.
Sewing classes and events
And Pietroianu's currently in the midst of expanding her shop's reach.
"I recently started teaching," she said. "I run sewing classes out of here for adults and children.
"I'm also setting up for date-night sewing classes. And parent-child sewing classes. I just want to add to the activities people can do in the Okanagan."
Thus far, The Couturess is thrilled with her Penticton renaissance.
"I love it here," she said. "The quality of life is better.
"And if you’re very good at something here, word travels really fast."
For more info on Adriana Pietroianu, her new shop and her services (and even her teaching schedule), head to The Couturess' website at couturess.com.
Love Local
This blog post is part of the City of Penticton's Love Local series, designed to shine spotlights on local businesses and encourage people to shop and support local. Have a great idea for us? Email us at communications@penticton.ca.
