As a child growing up in Brazil, Raquel used fabrics from her parents’ textile business to design gowns for her dolls. Today she creates and sells exquisite, unique couture fashion for women worldwide. These are all her own creations; you won’t find them anywhere else.

Raquel started designing and drawing as a child, and hasn’t stopped. “This was always my passion and dream, designing and drawing couture fashion,” she said in a Zoom interview. She was educated in Switzerland and then came to New York to study couture. She began marketing her creations in 1990 to fine department stores in the New York area, Miami, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto, London, Belgium and Israel. When her clients became brides, she began designing gorgeous gowns for their weddings.

The first Raquel Couture and bridal boutiques opened in Brooklyn in 2007 and were an immediate success. After many of her clients began moving to Lakewood, Raquel opened a magnificent boutique adjacent to “The Cookie Corner.”

Raquel Boutiques have been specially built to enhance the retail experience. Gold and marble trim with perfect lighting and large mirrors make it a pleasurable shopping experience, aided by the friendly, helpful staff.

Both Brooklyn and Lakewood stores have Raquel’s exclusive ready-to-wear line, semi-custom special occasion dresses and bridal gowns. “Most of our ready-to-wear line is day into evening,” said Raquel. “They’re a little bit more special; a dress you can wear for Shabbat, an engagement party, even a wedding. We have all the colors of the season ready in stock and if required we have our own couture tailoring department for the perfect fit.”

The boutiques are filled with Raquel’s couture creations, and she is constantly bringing in new merchandise specially created for her boutiques. “We work with our clients,” the designer said. “In the bridal boutique, they might like the fitted look they see on one dress but prefer the fabric on another dress.”

With that perspective, Raquel advises her clients to be open-minded about styles they may not have initially considered. “We know what looks good on a woman and how to make our clients look even better. A lot of times women come in with an idea but then they try on a specific style that we suggest and say, ‘Wow, I look amazing!’”

It is Raquel’s goal to make women of all ages and sizes look good and feel great. “Even if you’re not a size 0, you still want to look good,” she said. “You don’t have to be J. Lo and you don’t want to be. We are real women. We have shapes. I’m going to show you something that you will feel good and look great in.”

If there’s any trend in bridal wear, it’s that each bride wants something different. “I laugh with my sales associates that you can have five brides and each one will choose something else,” said Raquel. In general, brides want to be contemporary but they still have a soft spot for old-time glamor. “It’s like Grace Kelly 2024—elegant, romantic but still with a twist.” Lace is still important for some brides; others want a plain design but a beautiful cathedral veil and train. We do it all.”

Bridal gowns must do several things well, especially for Orthodox women. “Our brides have to be a bit more covered, but still look amazing,” said Raquel. “They want tight sleeves but they have to be able to lift their arms up and dance. We know how to do that.” She advises her brides to look their best when they walk down the aisle by wearing heels, even kitten heels, before they put on their dancing sneakers.

Raquel offers her clients great flexibility and pricing. Clients can rent a new bridal gown or choose a pre-loved gown—all fitted with couture tailoring. Special-order gowns take about six to eight weeks. “Everyone leaving our boutique looks perfect,” said the entrepreneur. “I take personal pride in everything I design.”

For special occasions, colors—including hot pinks, fuschia, bright blues and lavender—have been popular, and prints are still in demand. Raquel said she’s starting to see women want black and navy again. A black dress is always appropriate and not as memorable, so you can wear it more than once.

Most of the fabrics for Raquel Couture come from Europe, but a lot of the couture handwork is done in-house to control quality. “We have experts doing the work here so we’re able to deliver the highest quality,” she said.

Raquel emphasized that both her Brooklyn and Lakewood locations have experienced stylists to advise and guide you. “They quickly understand what you will look best in,” she said. “We are legendary for our expert and friendly service.”

Raquel Couture is located in Brooklyn at 1732 Coney Island Avenue, and in Lakewood at 101 Stonewall Court, Unit 6. Follow at https://www.instagram.com/raquel_couture and https://www.facebook.com/RaquelCouture. Call: (718) 645-6096