ABOUT US

As a leading designer brand of couture style, we take pride in offering the best quality Wedding Gowns, Bridesmaid Dresses, Farewell Dresses, Pageant Wear, Cocktail Wear, Corsets and Men’s Waistcoats.

With a studio in Klerksdorp, the brand started in 2010 and building ever strong with experience and a unique exclusive service to our clients, striving on not only creating dresses, but a memory.

“It’s the fabric, quality and patience”, was Kobus Rautenbach, couture designer and fashion design lecturer’s answer when asked what makes a good designer garment. “Feeling and listening to the fabric, treating it with respectful quality and waiting patiently for the garment to develop its own personality is what I strive for when I design and make a garment, be it a simple corset or an elaborate wedding gown”. 

Born in the small town Virginia in the Freestate in 1989, grew up in Klerksdorp for most of his life. He matriculated in 2007, finished his studies at North West School of Design in 2009 and obtained a qualified fashion designer credential. Kobus’s brand is completely couture based, offering exclusive services to his clients, creating true one of a kind designer pieces.

His brand Kobus Rautenbach Couture was started in 2010, after gaining experience at the fashion retail store Truworths. “Ek het til geslaan ja, then I started training to be a fashion merchandizer but left the company to pursue my own designer label. I learned a lot from Truworths, even from tilslaan, I learned how important excellent customer service is in any business, and still use that experience today. I loved every moment in climbing the steps to where I am today. My first workspace was a room in a flat that I stayed in, and today I have a fully functioning studio. I am always grateful for what I had and what I have today. I remember my first clients dress, it was a beautiful royal blue silk taffeta dress with black lace remnants appliqued and drizzled with crystals.”

At the design college where Kobus teaches, he feels privileged to share his experience and says he learns from the young minds just as much as they learn from him. “It’s not just patterns, sketching, sewing and computer subjects that I teach. Its life experience. There’s so much hard work waiting in this industry for young minds like my students, I try to teach them to be patient, persistent and true to their own style and talent.”

His signature style is old Hollywood. When you look at his designs, you see lace, simple cuts, excellent fit, flare and dazzle. “I don’t like edgy and modern. I love to design elegant and timeless pieces turned into couture art”. His corseted bodices with flared detail are definitely his signature style, together with crystal detail and classic colours like cream, black, white, charcoal, reds, jewel tones and pastel shades, mixed with different textures. “Never in my life will I make an orange dress, I don’t like screaming colours”.

“For me, it’s very important to sit and listen to what my client wants. I have to then incorporate all the design rules into our combined idea, creating a piece that compliments my client’s personality, and the other way around. It’s like playing cupid for me”. Kobus is inspired by designers like Vera Wang, Inbal Dror and Monique Lhuillier. ”I love love love their work, its true art”.

“I don’t have big dreams and I have not planned out my future, I am just so grateful and blessed in my life and work right now, I would rather enjoy what I have than to sob what I don’t have yet. I am not a rich entrepreneur, and I don’t want to chase the riches in this industry. I want to grab hold of opportunities and care for that. I believe that one door opens another, and until it does, I’m dancing and enjoying the moment in there.”

Truly a great couture artist in his own right, Kobus understands what creativity is about, he understands the impact of small beautiful things in life, which shows in his pieces.