Kimera Design

Working with Kimera to create my wedding dress was a beautiful, joyful, easy process, and I could not be more thrilled about the result. It was the opposite of stressful, and honestly, one of my favorite parts of the whole process — just mine. I came to Yvonne with a basic idea for a dress based on a photo, and the precious material of my mother’s sari that I wanted to use to make the dress. She immediately asked all the right questions, had her own ideas, and made me feel I was in skillful and capable hands. It really felt like a collaboration, though she and Jessica did all the work! I came back for a number of fittings and consultations and each time saw this amazing garment that I had only imagined taking shape. When we finally got there: it exceeded anything I could have dreamt of, it fit perfectly, I felt amazing in it. What else can I say? I loved working with them so much, and was so impressed by their selection of fabrics and the care they take in their work that we also had the groom and groomsmen’s ties /​pocket squares, our bridal party’s dresses, and our officiant’s sash all made there. Everyone was SO ecstatic about the experience and the finished products. They made our day what we wanted it to be: bright, beautiful, colorful, and superfly! From just being in the shop to wearing the dress itself and feeling unstoppable in it, the entire experience was one I will remember with fierce fondness and gratitude. I recommend beyond measure. Thank you, fabulous women of Kimera.

My partner and I came here to look for a custom wedding dress. The piece Yvonne made for my partner was stunning — perfectly fit to her body. We absolutely loved it. Not to mention, she did not want a traditional white dress, and Yvonne never once was judgmental or strange about that — something we can’t say for other stores. The fabric was great, the service was fast, and Yvonne was super nice and professional. Did I mention the incredible pricing? She also made a matching tie for me last minute. Wonderful.

I found Kimera Design online after searching for local shops that sold wedding dresses. I was also intent on finding a dress for under $ 1000, so I was ecstatic to fall in love with a dress on Yvonne’s website that fit my budget before even going to the store in-​person. In the end, Yvonne ended up making dresses for my five bridesmaids and two flower girls, as well as the tie for our ring bearer. We couldn’t be happier and she couldn’t have been easier to work with. She was so accommodating to the requests of my bridesmaids and incredibly patient with me as I went back and forth about sash and lining colors. I came down with a two-​week pneumonia a few weeks before our wedding and Yvonne was incredibly accommodating about having to reschedule fittings as we waited for my weight to stabilize. All of our dresses looked fabulous and unique. The fact that I wore a custom-​made wedding dress for less than $ 900 was incredible. And every time I go into her store, I want to buy something else!

It was definitely by chance that I stumbled into this lovely and unique dress shop. I had no idea what I was doing with my wedding dress yet and was just completely clueless, and Yvonne gave me a lot of ideas and guidance to come to decisions that I was very happy with. Ultimately I had a custom lace shrug made, and Yvonne worked with me to make sure my ideas came to life, took care of all my concerns, and gave great advice and guidance along the way as it was being made.
I’m so happy the shrug goes so well with my dress, and I really appreciated the care that went into the making it!
Everyone at the store is so friendly and patient, and works well with all types of personalities (thanks for putting up with my rushed-​ness)
=)

Yvonne was awesome! She made me a custom wedding dress. I really wanted something that was personal and she encouraged me to go material shopping and make it a fun process. It was awesome, me and one of my bridesmaids went fabric hunting in the garment district and scored on some sweet lace and silk charmeuse. The dress was perfect and the process painless and enjoyable! Thanks Yvonne!!!

I was very happy with Yvonne’s work. She finished my wedding dress in less than 3 months (although, not during normal wedding season!) and I loved it. Her style is simple and elegant with vintage and Asian elements, and the price for what I got was amazing. After I selected my dress and jacket, I also decided to buy jewelry from Kimera following Yvonne’s recommendations, and I got my groom’s tie to match my dress. I was so happy with those choices! I had to have a small additional alteration, which was done overnight for no charge. At first I questioned how loosely Yvonne left my dress tailoring, but during the day I was grateful for the comfort and I still received complements walking around Manhattan all day long!
Again, I highly recommend Kimera for dresses in this price range — impossible to beat!

After our wedding in Brooklyn, we had a reception with my husband’s family in SF. We decided to do a Chinese tea ceremony because my husband is half Chinese, and we decided it would be fun if I wore a qi pao (also called a cheongsam). I tried to research places in Chinatown but had really no idea where would be a good place to go and felt a little intimidated about looking on my own. My Unilocaling led me to Kimera, which is only a couple blocks from our old place in Brooklyn, so I made an appointment to see what Yvonne could make me. She does not typically do traditional qi paos, but she was totally willing and excited to make one for me. I ended up choosing a traditional long red dress with gold dragons, as we decided if I was going to wear a qi pao I may as well go for it! I tried on several samples and chose a design that I liked; Yvonne was flexible about switching the sides the buttons were on and making the dress long rather than the typical length that her sample was. After a few fittings the dress turned out quite well; I felt really awesome wearing it and got so many compliments! The dress was not inexpensive, but the price seemed reasonable. Overall I would definitely recommend visiting Yvonne if you are looking for a custom qi pao — there were several design options and many fabrics, so you could really customize your dress.

Little gem in a big city — you will be happy you stopped by. Yvonne made matching bridesmaid dresses for my sister. We fell in love with her unique materials and patterns, and her attention to detail was exactly what you would hope for. Naturally I went back to her for my wedding dress! Yvonne helped me make the best decisions about how to make my dress look and feel like me. She was full of smiles, she was dedicated to making the dress perfect, and she had quite an eye for all of the important details (matching earrings to the flow of the dress, for example). I highly recommend a visit the next time you are looking for an incredible, individualized experience.

I found this shop on etsy and really liked their dresses (great colors & textures, very simple & elegant style). I needed a dress within a month (in winter) and although I live on the west coast it was no problem to have the dress made within this time frame.
I guess it might be harder to do this during wedding season…
I emailed Yvonne my approx. measurements she sent me 2 sample dresses and many swatches. All she needed was to have a credit card on file.
Luckily the sample dress which I liked best fit me really well. I ordered the dress in a different color and received it within 7 business days of the order!
It was really crucial that Yvonne sent the swatches with the sample dresses — the colors come out very different on photographs. Thanks so much for the absolutely gorgeous dress and being so quick & responsive!

My friend had her wedding dress made here… the wedding dress, reception dress, and bridesmaid dresses were beautiful. I went to help pick up for one of the birdesmaids and so many other designs in store are great too. The fabric is good quality. The price is high, but not unexpected since they’re all silk materials and also the fact that they’re custom fitted to you.

Kimera Design was offering a free hair and makeup trial session sponsored by Under Her Veil. My gf, who is also a bride-​to-​be, and I decided to go and check it out and I have to say for a free trial session, we were treated and pampered with lots of attention. We walked in and was greeted by the friendliest staff. It was a team of 4 or 5 individuals and there was one professional photographer who was snapping pictures away. They really made us feel very comfortable. They even had cupcakes and goody bags for us.
Unfortunately, for whatever reason, their makeup artists couldn’t make it so they allocated more time on the hair trials. I showed a couple of pictures I saw from Pinterest to my hairstylist (sorry forgot her name!), and she was able to do it almost exactly as depicted in the pictures. More amazing is that she was able to do it all in less than 30 mins. It was a pleasure seeing her work her magic.
After the hair trial, we also met the owner of Kimera Design, Yvonne, who is very sweet and friendly to talk to. She showed us some of the bridal hair accessories she sells and they were all really pretty. Since it’s still early for me to think about hair accessories, I will definitely return in the near future for more browsing and inspirations.

This store is filled with beautiful dresses in gorgeous fabrics, and prices are extremely reasonable (base price of most dresses is $ 200-​$ 400). The colors of the fabrics, in particular, are gorgeous. I would recommend this store to any one who wants to get a unique, beautiful, custom fit dress — for any occasion, including weddings (as a bride or bridesmaid).

We bought dresses from here for my sister in-law’s wedding and they were great! We had our initial appointment in July (wedding was in October). We were a little nervous we were cutting it close. But we chose the dresses we liked and picked out the colors which fit the color scheme of the wedding perfectly. We only had to go back for one fitting at the end of September and were able to pick up our dresses the week after. The whole process was pretty easy for us. And everyone couldn’t have been nicer in the shop. The owner was so nice and patient with us. Everyone at the wedding was complimenting us on our dresses, thanks!

Kimera has pretty, simple Asian-​inspired dresses perfect for cocktail parties, informal and formal events. I chose this designer for my wedding dress because the dress I had in mind (Asian –inspired, with clean lines) fit their asthetic. I went with a friend who works in the Garment District. She found the designs to be very basic, «Sewing 101.»
Initially, I was still browsing for dresses, so I had them take my measurements and told them I might call them back. Later on that summer, I moved across the country to California, and still hadn’t found a dress. I ended up placing a long-​distanceorder for a rush job on a dress plus a long and short sash about 2 months prior to my wedding (my fault for procrastinating). I had to have the dress altered in California. As it turns out, the simple design was a good choice, because I received it in plenty of time to have it fitted. The dress was lightweight, packed well and was perfect for the Hawaii weather.
At the time of ordering, I asked that the dress be given a low-​V back, and to raise the neckline to be a little more conservative. When I received the dress, it was very loose and the neckline too low (bra was visible when viewed from the side). Granted, I had been working out, and lost some weight, so that may have explained the loose fit on the sides and hips. However, the fit was all wrong in the bust, and I’m not sure if Yvonne forgot to raise the neckline, or if it was because of weight loss and wearing a different bra at the time measurements were taken. The tailor who ultimately did the fittings explained the darts were not fitted correctly in the bust, and there was no hook-​and-​eye closure at the top of the zipper.
In any case, these problems were fixed. The dress turned out beautifully, and the wedding was a success. Overall, I was happy with the dress I bought from Kimera. However, if you plan on ordering from this designer, make sure you order at least 6 months in advance (as all the wedding magazines suggest), because I have a feeling things slipped through the cracks because of the short notice and increased demand during wedding season.

I actually find Kimera quite dangerous… at least for my wallet! So far I’ve ordered a dress for myself, and a dress for my mother. Both dresses came out beautifully, and it was so easy working with Yvonne and her staff.
In addition to great dresses that are custom made to fit, the store also has great ‘extras’ — like jewelry, shrugs, and now shoes. I came in to help my mother get fitted for her mother of the bride dress, and walked out with wedding shoes! And I’m heading back today to poke around for a hair flower.
Beautiful stuff, great fit, and reasonably priced considering the work and customization of these dresses!

I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to write a review of Kimera, because my review is simple and straightforward.
Kimera (well, really Yvonne, the designer) created a dress that was exactly what I wanted for my wedding. It was done exactly when it was promised, and with a personal touch — I asked Yvonne to incorporate pieces of my mother’s wedding dress into the sash of my dress. She carefully selecting corresponding colors and textures for the sash, creating a beautiful, unique piece of art, that I was thrilled to wear at my wedding.
Kimera is not for the traditional bride… you won’t find taffeta, lots of lace, jewels, corsets and bustiers. But, what you will find is simple, carefully crafted, beautiful, shantung silk dresses with unique, creative, personal, touches.
I will definitely return to Kimera for another special occasion dress in the future. The quality, with such a reasonable price, just can’t be found anywhere else.

The Pros:
I chose Kimera for my bridesmaids dresses, and ultimately, I am very happy with the results. The dresses were a beautiful color, beautiful shantung silk material and each bridesmaid got to choose the style that best flattered her body. All in all, they looked beautiful on the day of the wedding — which is really all a a bride could ask for.
The Cons:
The process of having the bridesmaids fitted and obtaining the dresses was more difficult than it needed to be because it seems that Kimera has more business than it can currently handle. When I first chose Kimera, I was very excited. The prices seemed right and each bridesmaid could chose their own style of dress in the color I picked for a reasonable price. However, every appointment we made was rushed and there was always someone booked 30 minutes behind us. With 5 bridesmaids and a flower girl, we sometimes needed more than 30 minutes to give each bridesmaid proper attention which was difficult with the next client was staring at us waiting for us to leave. At one of our appointments, not all of the dresses were ready even though we had booked the appointment weeks in advance and I had called to confirm the day before.
Pricing is inconsistent. Even though the dresses cost under $ 200, three of my bridesmaids were informed upfront that they needed custom sizing, which would cost an additional $ 75, even though their bodies are not very different than the bridesmaids who were not charged for custom fitting. Then at the end, another of my bridesmaids, who was NOT initally told she would need custom fitting, ended up being charged an additional $ 50 and told that her body had changed, which it definitely had not.
So, I would recommend asking a lot of questions upfront about how each person is going to be charged for alterations and make sure that there are no hidden charges later on.
Additionally, each bridesmaid needed 4 fittings (!) which gave us the impression that the work was being rushed and not done carefully. Given that the designer took everyone’s measurements before starting the dresses, and nobody’s body changed AND the dresses were extremely simple, it should not have taken 3 fiitings post the initial measurement to get these dresses right.
My guess is that this is happening, again, because Kimera has too much business or not enough employees/​hours of operation. If you have bridesmaids who are from out of town, I would be very wary about using Kimera — because I cannot imagine having bridesmaids from out of town needing to come back as many times as my bridesmaids did (who were luckily local).
I think if Kimera can improve customer service, they have an amazing product that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. And, if you’re local and have plenty of time to be fitted, go for it!

Kimera is my new heart throb. If Kimera were a person and not a company — despite what the US Supreme Court says, they’re not equivalent — I’d ask her/​him/​it to marry me. That’s how much I love Kimera.
Yvonne Chu, the owner /​designer, specializes in custom-​made wedding dresses and other dresses in vibrant, eye-​popping colors and sensuously textured shantung silk and brocade. Her style incorporates light Asian touches here and there (in the fabrics, colors, an occasional Mandarin collar, an «obi» sash), but never in a kitschy way. She can also do traditional qipaos, though those aren’t on her website.
Prices are extremely fair for wedding dresses, generally; they’re a complete steal for custom made wedding dresses. I felt a strange desire to book it out of there as soon as I paid my deposit in case Yvonne realized she’d undercharged me. Prices for non-​wedding special occasion dresses are about on par with what you might find off the rack at Macy’s — but they are ever so much more interesting. All the sewing is done in-​house by house elves, upstairs.
Kimera also sells custom-​made jackets (my favorite is a sheer, full length jacket designed to be worn over a dress); men’s ties; messenger bags; pillows (ringbearer and sofa); costume jewelry. There’s a lingerie store that shares space in the basement, too, so in the event you accidentally wear holey underwear to a fitting, you can buy an emergency pair right there.
What a find! Thanks to Unilocaler Sabrina W. for cluing me in to this place!

I am in love with Yvonne Chu’s work! My friends and I drove down from Boston *just* to visit this boutique for bridesmaids dresses. Yvonne works with all body types, doesn’t judge or cluck at you, she just wants to make you look beautiful.
Her work quality is seriously TOP NOTCH and I can’t believe how inexpensive they are — you will pay more for an off-​the-​rack dress at most department stores compared to what her custom formal dress work will cost.
Can’t wait to come back here for my final fitting. She is worth the five hour drive!

I am happy to see that this store still exists. I used to shop here when she still had a store on Fifth Avenue. Then one day it was gone and I was like where are you Kimera! Back then shopping here was a treat and I was always on a budget. Nowadays I am all about the look and feel of feminity and Kimera Design has this on lock. I can not wait to visit now because I know I am going to have a good time, find something I like that is timeless and ultra unique. I mean how many pairs of UGG’s do you have to run into until you are glad you are not a trend follower.