When Alexandra Leclerc married Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc in Monaco on Saturday, the dress she wore had been made not in Paris or Milan, but in a quiet atelier on the southern coast of Australia.
The gown was the work of Paolo Sebastian, the Australian couture house whose presence on the international fashion circuit has grown considerably since its founder, Paul Vasileff, showed his first collection at the age of 17. Vasileff launched the label in 2007 after studying locally before completing his training at Milan’s Istituto Europeo di Design, graduating with honours. He then made a decision that ran against the conventional wisdom of an industry that typically demands designers relocate to one of the major fashion capitals — he went home to South Australia, and built his house there.
For Alexandra’s wedding day, Vasileff created a French Chantilly lace fishtail gown with a scalloped neckline, three-dimensional floral and butterfly embellishments, and bespoke embroidered initials alongside the couple’s wedding date — a detail that places the piece firmly in the tradition of heirloom couture. The gown was paired with an elegant chignon and a bouquet of white flowers, the overall effect precise and quietly considered.
From Australia to the world’s biggest stages
Every Paolo Sebastian piece is handmade in Adelaide by Vasileff and a team of specialised seamstresses, with private consultations and fittings tailored to each individual client. The house’s signatures — intricate hand-embroidery, delicate French lace, elegant draping, and romantic silhouettes — have remained consistent even as its profile has expanded far beyond Australia. Collections are frequently inspired by fable and fairy tale, lending Paolo Sebastian a distinctly poetic sensibility that sits apart from much of mainstream couture.
In 2016, Vasileff brought the house to Paris for the first time, presenting private showings that marked the beginning of a sustained international push. Paolo Sebastian has since returned to Paris Haute Couture Week, debuted at Dubai Fashion Week as the first Australian couture house to show there, and built a following across multiple continents. On the red carpet, the label has been worn by Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, Heidi Klum, and Anya Taylor-Joy, appearing at the Academy Awards, the Met Gala, and the Golden Globes.
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A designer with an early start
Vasileff was born in Adelaide in 1990 and learned to sew under the guidance of his grandmother, completing his first dress design for a childhood friend at the age of 11. He launched Paolo Sebastian at 17, and despite considerable pressure from within the industry to relocate abroad, chose to keep his atelier — and his team of local artisans — in South Australia. In 2017, he was named Young Australian of the Year and won Best Australian Evening Wear Designer at the Prix de Marie Claire Awards.
That a gown conceived and stitched together in Australia should find its way to the streets of Monaco for one of the most closely watched weddings in the principality’s recent memory is, by any measure, a significant moment for the country’s fashion industry.
For the bride, the verdict was simple. “My dream dress,” Alexandra wrote on Instagram — three words that said everything.
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Main photo source: @alexandramalenaleclerc on Instagram, photographers: @germanlarkin, @gregfinck