SOKAYRI ATELIER, Bespoke Design and Couture Tailoring — Local services in Darien

I would not recommend alterations at Sokayri. I used them for my wedding dress alterations and the process was incredibly stressful, unpleasant, and left me unhappy with the final result.

The alterations were extremely overpriced, the tailor, Danilo, was incredibly pushy and the communication was poor. Multiple times revisions were made to my dress without consultation with me. For example I asked for the dress to be taken in and instead the tailor added various different pieces of padding without much technical skill at all. They did not fit my body and added visible imprints into the gown. Despite having agreed to the alterations I was requesting he then told me it was “not possible.” I had to get the owner involved and suddenly the alterations we previously agreed upon were possible again.

I also purchased a custom dress that was billed as haute couture with a perfect fit. They charged an arm and a leg and it came out looking cheap and flimsy. It did not fit my body and again I had to argue for the necessary alterations, which were visible to anyone looking at the dress. I would have been 1000x better off buying off the rack for quality alone.

Overall, the tailor was unprofessional and unpleasant to work with. He was dismissive when I expressed a concern or opinion different from his, poked me with a needle when making alterations, made poor quality alterations, took phone calls during my appointments and openly pressured customers for tips. In the end the dress did not fit appropriately, but there was no time to keep going back and forth as my wedding was just a few days away. I was pressured into signing off on the work (the consultant literally followed me to my car and said I could not leave without signing).

UPDATE: Do not trust the reviews online. After I posted this review the owner reached out to me to share a sympathetic story, confirming that this had been an issue for several customers. She expressed a desire to "make it right" and I shared that I'd be happy to edit or remove my review if a refund was provided, as the service I paid for was not what I received. She told me to contact her to discuss the amount I would find acceptable. When I suggested a full refund she quoted her attorney and said she was not legally obligated to give me anything. She offered me $500 IF I took down the review (a nominal amount in relation to what I was charged) and accused me of trying to set them up since I wore my dress to my wedding and didn't share my experience sooner. I don't know what bride has the means to find a new dress three days before her wedding or wants to spend their honeymoon reliving the most negative aspect of their wedding! It was never my intention to get money out of this review, only to warn other brides. If they truly wanted to make it right that may have changed my perception, but that was clearly not the case.

I declined her offer, but I am sure there are others who gladly accepted. The interaction was misleading and unpleasant, confirming my other experiences at Sokayri.

Save yourself the stress and money and choose...

They have saved my wedding! I have brought my dress to a seamstress who assured me to be experienced in wedding gowns alterations. She works out of her house where she has only a little space for fittings, with little room for a ball gown, and room stuffed to the brim and tons of threads and fabric pieces of all colors all over the place. I still trusted her, but the alterations went very bad. She removed horsehair from the hem and separated the layer of the crinoline. The skirt lost the volume and hem was done uneven . To my horror she also shortened the dress all the way around without asking me stating this way I will not need a bustle because the bustles break anyway during dancing. She took in on the waist and gathered the excess of the fabric in one single pleat only on one side on the back, which looked weird. I regret I didn’t do my alterations at Sokayri from the beginning because I wanted to save money and went to a “professional “ who offered it for less. In the end I paid twice. But money spent at Sokayri was money well invested. They were able to miraculously (or rather skillfully) sew the train back in place, covering the seam with beautiful appliqué thus customizing it to be unique, put the horsehair back and properly connecting all the lining layers, readjusted the pleats on the skirt in a symmetrical way and taking in on the princess seams which the other seamstress said was not possible. I didn’t have to use the large breast cups anymore to fill in the dress in the bust area and looked natural. They did a beautiful bustle on my dress and I danced my first dance and father - and - daughter dance, and wore it almost the entire night, changing into a short dress for the party because I was afraid someone would step on the dress and break the bustle because the fabric of the dress is very delicate. I can’t thank Elena and her masterful tailor enough for making me feel welcome, calming me and doing this fabulous job just 3 weeks before the wedding! Don’t try to save money on the most important dress you will ever wear! Save your nerves and eliminate stress choosing the true professionals! Plus they do such beautiful pictures of the process, I will include them in my wedding album as unforgettable memories of the moments of getting my dress ready in their...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I cannot thank Elena, Marsha, and Maryam enough for everything they did for me and my two wedding gowns! They went above and beyond in every possible way.

Not only did they handle all my alterations with incredible skill — including bustling, hemming, and adding straps to a strapless gown — but they also managed to take a size 12 dress down to a size 4, and it fit me perfectly!

The reason I even had a size 12 dress was because my original wedding gown couldn’t be altered to add a slit (despite what the bridal shop had told me). Elena and Marsha were honest with me about that — they explained that adding a slit would ruin the dress — and I am so glad they did. With their support, I exchanged my first dress for a size 12 sample gown that already had a slit.

Throughout the entire process, Elena was my rock. She FaceTimed with me, spoke directly to the sales associate and seamstress at the bridal store (Designer Loft), and made sure I was taken care of every step of the way.

They were also extremely accommodating, especially given my tight timelines — fitting me in for multiple appointments and ensuring everything was ready in time without ever compromising on quality. They also took detailed videos on how to bustle both dresses and showed me how the dresses would be packed in anticipation of me needing to take both dresses onto a flight.

If you’re looking for not just exceptional quality alterations, but also people who genuinely care about you and your big day, this is the place to go. Elena, Marsha, and Maryam truly have your back and your best interests at heart. I am beyond grateful for them! 💕

*I'll post more photos once I get them from the...