Mina Design & Tailoring

Mina is a tailoring genius! When I first took my dress to her, the dress was about 3 sizes too big. Because it was all lace and tulle, I was a little concerned about how much it could be taken in, and what it would look like after. After ONE fitting, mina had it almost perfect, looking like it was always made to be that size! She absolutely knows her stuff when it comes to how dresses are constructed, and more importantly, she knows how they SHOULD be constructed so that they fit and flatter your body. This was my first experience ever working with a tailor/seamstress, and I was more than a little intimidated about what sorts of things I should be looking for and asking. Mina was EXTREMELY helpful in suggesting things that could make the dress (and me) look best, and pointing out areas that worked with no altering. She also added a beautiful and simple bustle that worked with the lines of the dress perfectly. I chose Mina because she did an exceptional job tailoring my sister's wedding dress 2 years ago. She has now made life-long clients out of my sister, my mother, and now me! There is nobody better. With all of the stress and unknowns that come with planning a wedding, let me just say that Mina is WORTH EVERY PENNY. You can trust that your investment in your dress is in exceptionally talented hands. And really, what's more important on your wedding day than how your dress fits?

Mina is a master! My dress was all lace and was complicated to alter. She made the dress fit every inch of my body perfectly. Everyone complimented me on it! Go to Mina!!

I purchased a Reem Acra gown from Your Dream Dress, an online vendor of sample designer gowns. Besides needing your typical taking up of the hem + bustling, the gown had a unique feature that I knew would take a very talented seamstress to alter. The designer had her initials embroidered upon the bodice of the gown, intertwined with the intricate beaded embroidery that covered the rest of the bodice, back and front. I was very anxious about taking the gown to someone who could handle such a complex task, and after reading reviews of Mina's work online, I decided to give her a try. Choosing Mina was one of the best decisions I made during the entire wedding-planning process. Mina was so very kind to myself and to my mom, who came to nearly every fitting, each time we visited her studio. I appreciated the fact that her website was very clear about Mina's expectations, and I took the straightforward nature of the site, and of the email communications I received from Mina and her assistant, as examples of her professionalism. I was, as many brides today are, trying to keep to a strict budget. I had no idea what alterations to a wedding gown would cost, and during the initial exchange with Mina's assistant I learned that I would need to spend quite a bit more than I had originally budgeted. The estimate that was shared with me at that time was quite accurate, and I appreciated the fact that these early emails were very clear and firm about what would be expected. Again, the professionalism of Mina and her assistant were reflected even in these early email exchanges. In this case, I decided to cut back on another portion of our wedding in order to ensure that a true expert worked on my gown, since it would be something that everyone would admire and comment upon. The additional investment in my dress, I realized, would be well worth it on the day of the wedding, and it would matter even beyond our wedding day when I perhaps would share photographs of the day with friends, or with children, or even share the dress with a daughter sometime in the future. In other words, yes Mina's work was a financial stretch for me, but it was a sound investment. I visited Mina at least 4 times and each time she patiently calmed my fears regarding the fit of the dress, reassured me that all would be well on the day of our wedding, and even encouraged me to just eat and sleep when we realized I might lose too much weight for the bodice to fit as beautifully as it did originally. That was *definitely* a first for me, and I truly appreciated that Mina just wanted to make sure that I could just be myself on my wedding day. Mina's suggestions regarding bust inserts and bustle type and length were invaluable, and her advice was always shared as a means of making me feel more comfortable, rather than as absolutes. Mina, I felt, wanted the best for me and wanted to honor the craftsmanship of the gown itself, which I think speaks for her own skill as an artist. I can absolutely recommend Mina to anyone looking for gown alterations, especially a bride who is particularly concerned about a more detailed gown or a more complicated fix. Mina will absolutely be worth the investment, and her kind and calm demeanor will feel therapeutic to you when you feel most stressed.

Mina is amazing! I had purchased a sample Elizabeth Fillmore from Glamour Closet so the straps were very worn from being on the hanger in the store. The ones she suggested to replace them with were even better than the originals! Also the dress was WAY too long, but there was all this detailing in the lace on the bottom that I was worried about losing. Before I even said anything about that she explained how she could take the dress up from a place in the middle where the lace pattern changed so that the dress would look the same after doing the hem. I was worried that the dress was a little snug (I think it was because I was nervous!) Mina didn't think the extra work was necessary and she convinced me to leave it as is. She works to make the dress fit perfectly, not to talk you into expensive alterations. She was totally right-the dress was so comfortable and perfect fitting on my wedding day! The email based appointment booking was SO easy. I always received a prompt reply and they were very accommodating fitting me into her obviously busy schedule. Also, Mina was so sweet and comforting when I went in for my fittings. I will definitely send all my friends getting married to her.

She is completely different from what you may expect- So do not let the little girl inside you start nagging and become an obstacle for you to get the best fit you deserve! They do not take phone calls, or make calls to brides. They do all correspondence by email, which made everything much easier for me, as I could not receive personal calls at work. They don't give you an estimate without seeing the dress on you, but they let you know if your budget is not realistic for your project. Also their "FAQs" are very helpful. They are not cheap, but considering what they did for me, it is worth every penny! I personally decided to cut anywhere except my dress. They altered my wedding gown, custom made my mother's dress, and altered three of my bridesmaids dresses. I did not like the belt that came with my dress, so they customized the most amazing bridal belt with rhinestones that you could ever imagine. I cried just when I saw the belt. It looked like was made for the dress, yet unique and just made for me! We were all pleased and couldn't be any happier! When I tried the finished dress, could not believe it was me in the mirror! The final cost for each of us stayed on the lower side of the original quote, while I really expected to pay about 20% more than the higher end, giving the experiences that I had with other vendors (they all cost me more than what they quoted for their services).

Mina was refereed to us by the bridal salon that my daughter bought her wedding dress from. I am a bit over weight, but I wanted to look beautiful and elegant for my daughter's wedding. I refused to buy a traditional MOB dress. We picked a beautiful silk fabric from their stock, and she made a very elegant evening gown for me. The embellishments she added to the dress were stunning. I looked young and glamorous in my dress. This was probably the most expensive dress that I've ever worn, but it was a very good investment. They also altered my daughter's wedding gown and some of her bridesmaids dresses, they were all extremely happy too.

I bought my wedding dress online and it did not fit me at all. I took the dress to Mina. She was really nice and very patient with me. Even though given only 3 weeks for her to do alteration, she was able to finish my dress before time. And I was very happy with the result. The dress fits me perfectly. It looked much better than I expected.

Let me just say, Mina is a miracle worker. I bought my dream wedding dress for an arm and a leg at Kleinfeld's in New York. When it arrived, I took it to Mina for the fitting. I'm pear shaped so it fit perfect on my hips but I need the dress taken in on top, where there was intricate lace and tulle. She put in boning to hide my lumps, and cups which allowed me to wear the dress without a bra (thank goodness!) By the time Mina was done, she had turned this form fitting dress into something that made me look like a sexy curvy goddess. The dress fit like a dream... ...until my stress eating got the best of me. By the time I saw Mina again for my last fitting, only a week away from the wedding, I had gained enough weight to where I actually ripped the dress at the base of the zipper trying to get it up. I freaked out, but not Mina. She was cool as a cucumber and was able to fix the tear seamlessly. She also worked some magic with the zipper to where it once again fit me like a dream, with time to spare! I'll admit I lost a couple pounds after the tear-scare, but god knows the thing wouldn't have zipped without the work Mina did on the dress. Mina really pours her heart and soul into her work and she does the best alterations ever. She won't give you a bad alteration job. She'll keep working on it until it's perfect. If you are looking for someone to alter your wedding gown, I wouldn't think twice about recommending her work to anyone.

Mina is an angel. She is truly the best in the business. Going to fittings at her Beverly Hills studio are a treat. Every time she amazes you with new creative ideas that you didnt even think possible. TO have Mina as a part of your wedding is a blessing.

Mina really made my dress spectacular. I received so many compliments and truly feel like her handiwork made me comfortable in my dress. She even recommended adding some tuele to the bustline for my personal comfort. It looked BEAUTIFUL and I couldn't have been happier. I highly recommend using Mina.

My mother paid over $6200 for my dress, but when it came to the alterations she dragged me all over the town to find the cheapest. She took me to tailor shops so small that my dress didn't fit in them, or ones where people were eating a foot from the sewing machine or with a dirty floor- yet, they were expensive. Finally, my maid of honor brought up a very good point and advised me to care about my wedding dress (the most important aspect of my wedding) as much as I cared about my ride to the church (limo). She asked around and found Mina. When I got to her large, bright, clean studio, I couldn't believe my eyes. I regretted that I did not find her earlier and wasted so much time! The way she did the fitting was amazing and quick; not too many pins and marks, but nothing was missed. She mentioned things that we didn't notice until she pointed out. The quote she gave me was about the same as two of the tailor shops gave me (ones that did not even seemed half as skilled as she was!). More importantly, she made me feel safe, and put mine mind at ease! I knew I could trust her with my dress, and not only she did not disappoint me, but she exceeded my expectations! Even my mother could not believe I was able to find someone so skilled for such reasonable price (I am not saying she was cheap, but reasonable for what she did, and worth every penny). She hemmed and took in the dress, but it seemed that the dress was just made for me and no one could tell that the beads were removed and placed back during the alterations. Highly recommended!

I found Mina through Yelp and I'm glad I did. I'm new to Southern California and needed someone who knew how to work with delicate laces on on my wedding dress. My dress was way too long and had intricate laces on the bottom that needed careful attention and detailing. Mina did an excellent job and I do not hesitate to recommend her to anyone who needs a professional tailor to alter her wedding dress. She makes due on her promises to make sure that your dress is perfect the way you want it to be. You will not be disappointed, Ching

I was so lucky to have found Mina after being told that nothing could be done to my unsatisfactory wedding dress to improve it at the shop I ordered from. Unfortunately, the saleswoman who helped me with the dress at that shop (BRIDAL ELEGANCE IN TORRANCE _ DON'T GO THERE) recommended ordering a petite length. At the time, I thought that was strange given my 5'5" height, but trusted her opinion. Anyway, when the dress came in, not only was it WAY too short with my 4" heels, but the fit actually made me look bigger in the waist area (due to an inner corset that was too big). I contacted Mina after reading reviews of her work. I was only 2 weeks away from my wedding at the time and very nervous about the time constraints on top of the issue with the dress. After the email consultation, I made an appointment. Once Mina saw the problems with the dress I was thrilled to hear she could fix them. She really made me feel at ease as well during the appointment. I was delighted when I went to pick it up - it came out beautiful. Mina took out the inner corset and created length by adjusting the decorative bust line. I had a great experience working with Mina and she made the dress fit me as it should!

The bridal salon gave me a referral sheet for my alterations, but my consultant advised me not to trust anyone but Mina with my couture bridal gown because she was the only one in LA with the high skill and talent that my dress required. They don't take phone calls and every inquiry and appointment request must come via email, which seemed odd at first, but later I realized that they are not a regular tailor shop, but a high end bridal studio specialized in couture bridal gowns although I saw simple bridal dresses there too. When I first emailed them, I kind of felt that they did not want my business, but I was wrong. The whole process is to make sure everything is done properly and professionally, to keep everyone informed and make sure no time is wasted from either side, and that was something that I really appreciated. Even during the consultation and all the fittings, everything goes very smoothly and quickly, because Mina knows what she is doing and you do not need to be worried about a thing. She sees what you don't see and she cares more than you do. She sees every brides herself in 100% privacy without any kind of interruption or interference. I never knew I had such small waist and rib cage, or at least I didn't know they could look so small until I put on the dress after they started the alterations. All the beads were installed back in a way that I even couldn't tell the dress was down-sized nearly two sizes. She also added so much more interest to the pick ups and the bustles looked so elegant and beautiful that I kept them up for the most of the night. I would recommend her to anyone--- even someone who doesn't have a couture dress. You are a bride and you want the best fit no matter what the type of dress or wedding you have. Good luck to every bride out there! :)

I bought a designer gown at Glamour Closet, so it was a couple of sizes too big. Mina had to alter the entire dress, but it was perfect! The detailing on the bodice matched up after she had to remove the excess material - it looked like I had bought the dress in my size from the start! Mina is a pro and great to work with - I highly recommend her.

Mina is an absolute doll! She did such an amazing job tailoring my dress. I had the following done: bodice shortened, length shortened (including several layers of duchesse satin, silk chiffon, and tulle), boning added, bustle added. She is very detail oriented and I couldn't have been happier with my gown! In addition, she was extremely patient and even took the length up an additional half inch upon my request. She ensures that the dress is EXACTLY what you want, which is perfect for any bride-to-be who is coordinating a million vendors!

Mina is hands down the most talented, kind, thoughtful, and overall PERFECT designer/tailor in the world in my opinion! The planning of my wedding has been nothing but stressful, and once I met Mina, I knew that the one thing I did not need to stress about was my dress! My wedding dress means so much to me, and Mina designed every seam and detail to my figure! Although I purchased my dress in a salon, Mina was able to make suggestions as to how to better shape the dress to my body, and I have never felt more beautiful in my life. Her attention to detail is impeccable and her kindness and generosity of her time made me feel so comfortable during the dress fitting experience. She makes you feel like you and your dress are the most important pieces in the world :) Mina also provided amazing and clear communication during the entire process which was so professional and kept me informed along the way...AMAZING! In addition, Mina also worked on a dress of mine for my Bridal Shower which was yesterday. I have never received more comments in my life over a dress, and everyone kept asking about Mina as they want to experience all of her talents as well. Having worked in the fashion industry, I know the difference between perfection and non...and believe, Mina's work is beyond perfection. If I would have found her on Yelp sooner, I would have skipped dress shopping, and would have asked her to hand design a gown...I will just have to save that for when I renew my vows! :) A must go for every bride, do not think twice, she will make your wedding day PERFECT!!!

She Knew Exactly What I Wanted I thought my dress was beautiful when I bought it, but after Mina altered it, I liked it 10x more!!! Fits perfectly, the bustling in the back makes it look so elegant, and she even hand-made me a sash with a bow in the back!

Mina made my bridesmaid dress for my cousins wedding. It was absolutely breathtaking. She did a wonderful job and I will keep the dress forever!

When I bought my gown I thought I did a good job picking a gown that complimented my figure, but with Mina's touch and know-how she showed me how much better I could look on my wedding day. Mina really knows how to alter a gown to compliment a woman's body - I felt like my dress was molded to my figure. I came to Mina with 4 weeks until my wedding and she never made me feel rushed or like I had to just settle for what had already been done. I went to her at least 3 times and every time she was receptive to hearing about even little changes that I wanted. When I left with my gown 2 weeks before my wedding I felt so confident and beautiful in it that I couldn't wait to put it on and walk down the aisle. Truly, if you want a no fuss no worry alterations experience, then go to Mina.