Every day, Australian brides across rush to Brunswick to take a glimpse of some of the most beautiful and dazzling wedding dresses.
A destination for all things bridal, the inner northern suburb is home to some of the most beautiful dresses and designs available on the market.
Standing on the corner of Sydney Rd and Victoria St is the jewel in the crown – Raffaele Ciuca Bridal – its glass doors encasing hundreds of glamorous gowns, picked from the runways of some of the world’s leading designers.
In the 70 years since its doors first opened, the boutique has transformed into one of the most recognised bridal boutiques in the city with exclusive pieces by Vivienne Westwood, Berta, Nicole+Felicia, Steven Khalil and Vera Wang Bride.
The boutique has dressed names such as Grace Ireland, Alexis Tripodi and Jasmine Garuccio.
Now it’s debuting at this year’s Melbourne Fashion Week.
Despite being one of the leading boutiques for Australian brides, Raffaele Cuica wasn’t always a destination for the bride-to-be.
It was early in the morning of 1952 when Raffaele Ciuca stepped off the Surriento ocean liner and onto Melbourne soil. After 52 days at sea and armed with a single suitcase, the 21-year-old Italian was beginning the chapter of his new life in Australia.
“Dad arrived with a suitcase and his tailoring skill, and not much else,” Mr Cuica’s daughter and General Manager Patricia Pallozzi told NewsWire.
For four generations, his family in L’Aquila had been working as a tailor, honing his craft of cutting sewing and constructing suits using Zegna, Rossino and Mazotto fabrics.
Over the span of the next few decades, he and his wife Tina developed and grew their own tailoring business in Coburg – The Tailor Shop – which soon transformed into a destination for bridesmaids, flower girls, pageboys and, eventually, the bride herself.
The business was then passed down to daughters Patricia and Claudia, and has since been introduced to a third generation.
No matter how much time passes, however, their father will always be the North Star.
“Everything we do today still comes back to what he learned at his father’s workbench in Paganica,” Ms Pallaozzi said.
“You measure properly, you respect the fabric and you respect the person wearing it.”
Seventy years later, the boutique moved to Brunswick, and a second store was opened on High St in Armadale. Menswear was then put to the side and the focus became bridal.
Even as decades passed, Mr Cuica’s legacy remains; his name emblazoned on the side of the boutiques as the family continues to find the perfect gown for the blushing bride.
Ms Pallozzi told NewsWire her father would be in awe of the boutiques as they stand today.
“Seventy years on, the stores look different and half our bookings come through a phone,” she said.
“What hasn’t changed is the reason people walk through the door. Someone is getting married, and it’s our job to honour that.
“Dad did it with a tape measure. We’re still doing it.”
To celebrate the boutique’s 70th anniversary, Raffaele Cuica will debut at Melbourne Fashion Week, sending some of their most sought-after pieces down the runway.
On Friday October 23 at Melbourne’s Immigration Museum, the runway will be filled with pieces from Steven Khalil, Nicole+Felicia and Vivienne Westwood – but with a twist.
“We’d like to think it’s sort of a bit of a showcase of the best of bridal right now,” she said.
“What’s really exciting is how like they’re all going to be accessorised, so you can expect it’s a sort of nod to the 70-year history.”
Not only is the runway a celebration of its seven-decade history, it’s also a love letter to Melbourne.
“Dad just loved Melbourne, loved going into the city with the tram and just looking at the windows of the high-end stores,” Ms Pallozzi told NewsWire.
“It was all about quality, feeling the fabric and the quality of the craftsmanship. He was always just in awe of Melbourne, just absolutely loved Melbourne.”