À MA CHÈRE

Haute couture made in Zurich

À MA CHÈRE is the haute couture label and atelier of couturière Rosmarie Amacher, with its showroom at Dufourstrasse 167 in Zurich. Everything is made to measure and by hand in Switzerland, and the wedding offer covers both sides of the couple: made-to-measure wedding dresses (Brautkleider) and made-to-measure wedding suits for the groom (Hochzeitsanzüge nach Mass). The atelier also makes evening dresses, tailored suits, casualwear and alterations.

The English page opens with a question and its own answer: is haute couture disappearing? No, it is on the verge of a renaissance, because the haute couture of À MA CHÈRE is "an answer to the exuberant consumerism". The atelier creates "garments that are made to last for decades", clothing "for people for whom less is more". The German about page defines haute couture as "die hohe Kunst des Schneiderns" (the high art of tailoring): made-to-measure slow fashion, handmade from luxurious fabrics.

The wedding dress

The bridal page says the atelier tailors the bride's wedding dress to measure in Zurich, because her bridal wear should be as unique as her wedding. The English version puts it as "your bridal dress, that we tailor in Zurich, should be as unique as your wedding day". One detail stands out for couples planning around real life: the German page adds that a bride who is pregnant ("in anderen Umständen") will also feel perfectly dressed for the big moment, so the atelier explicitly makes dresses for expectant brides.

Rosmarie Amacher designs the creations personally. The homepage says she is responsible for the designs herself, working with a team of excellent seamstresses, most of whom she trained herself.

The groom's suit

The wedding suit page describes a suit designed by Rosmarie Amacher to the groom's measurements, to fit his style and personality. It calls a made-to-measure wedding suit a luxury, and makes the case for it as a sustainable garment that will accompany him to festive occasions for decades and can be altered again and again. A couple who want both outfits from one atelier can have them designed by the same couturière.

The atelier also makes evening dresses, which the English page lists for a wedding, a christening, the theater, the opera or New Year's Eve, so a mother of the bride or a guest can be dressed here too.

How the atelier works

The about page sets out three principles:

• Nach Mass (to measure). The atelier knows no dress sizes and works only to measure; every piece is fitted to the client's measurements.
• Nachhaltig (sustainable). Sustainability means respect for nature and people, which is why the couture is made exclusively in Switzerland.
• Individuell. Every piece is a one-off made only for the client.

Its creations, the page says, combine traditional and current cuts, precise measurement and perfect fit, with the highest standards of quality and sustainability from the first sketch to the finished garment. The philosophy is summed up as "Trage nur, was wirklich passt, das braucht Stil, Zeit und Musse" (wear only what really fits; that takes style, time and leisure).

Fabrics and history

Fabric is a big part of the story. The English page says the atelier chooses from bright patterns and designs in silk, wool, cotton or linen, from European suppliers it knows personally, with attention to consistency and sustainability in production.

The history section on the about page gives the background. Rosmarie Amacher founded her own atelier in 1983 after training as a master tailor, and traveled regularly to the haute couture shows in Paris. In 1992 À MA CHÈRE took on the representation of fabric producers such as Carnet and founded the fabric shop Le Coupon, and the page says about 4000 different fabrics are available today. In the 2000s she acquired printing blocks of the Wiener Werkstätte, and in 2017 she designed her own fabric collection, Slowfabrics, a sustainably produced range reinterpreting the old woodblock patterns.

The team

The about page names the team: Rosmarie Amacher, couturière; Vreni, flou couturière; Eliana, clothing designer for jersey, trousers, dresses and jackets; Charlotte, clothing designer for leather, coats and jackets; Franco, pattern maker (Modelist) in Paris; and Margret, couturière for fine fitting (Feinmass).

Other services

Rosmarie Amacher also offers style services: a fashion consultation to bring order to an existing wardrobe and create new combinations, personal shopping in the city, and a wardrobe check (Garderobencheck) at the client's home. These are not wedding services, but they show how personal the atelier's way of working is.

Visiting and booking

The showroom at Dufourstrasse 167, 8008 Zürich, is open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday by appointment only. Consultations take place in the couture atelier in Zurich. The main number is +41 43 456 30 00; the wedding pages give +41 79 400 91 26 for booking a consultation, and the email is info@a-ma-chere.ch. The site has a route planner link.

What the site does not settle

• Prices. No prices are published for dresses or suits.
• Lead time. The site does not say how many months a made-to-measure dress or suit takes, or how many fittings are needed.
• Couples living abroad. Consultations are at the atelier, and the site does not say whether any part of the process can happen remotely. A couple who can only be in Zurich a few times should ask how the fittings would be scheduled.
• Language. Parts of the site are in English, including the tailoring page, but it does not say which languages consultations are held in.
• Wedding portfolio. The pages show no gallery of past wedding dresses or suits.
• Up-to-date news. The newest news items on the homepage date from February 2022, including one about a move back to the Torgasse after a renovation, while the contact details give Dufourstrasse. The address is worth confirming when booking.

Who it suits

À MA CHÈRE suits a couple in or near Zurich who want both wedding outfits made by hand, to measure, from fabrics chosen with the couturière, and who see the dress or suit as something to wear again. Pregnant brides are explicitly welcome. The caveats are the unpublished prices and lead times, which matter most for a couple from abroad who need to plan fittings around trips to Zurich.