Star in their eyes — Local Paddo

Steven Khalil is a man who spins dreams.

Peer in the window of his Glenmore Rd bridal boutique to spy wedding dresses that look as if they have come from the set of Cinderella. Glistening with hand-sewn beads and real pearls, draped with French lace and sparkling with crystals, they are the sorts of dresses many little girls dream about; truly the stuff of fairytales.

Xotchitl Gomez at the LA Multiverse of Madness premiere

“It might sound cliché, but I'm always looking to old Hollywood glamour for classic elements with a modern twist,” Khalil says of his signature hand-sewn gowns.

In a neighbourhood studded with stellar boutiques and fashion royalty, Khalil has quietly become one of Australia’s most revered couturiers and bridal specialists, a celebrity stitcher with more than 700,000 Instagram followers and a client list for his red-carpet creations that extends to Jennifer Lopez, Emily Ratajkowski, Kylie Jenner and Katy Perry.

In May, rising star Xochitl Gomez wore a stunning Steven Khalil gown to the premiere of Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness in Los Angeles, while two actresses — Chloe Bailey and Nicolette Robinson — wore his dresses to the 2022 Oscars after party.

But Khalil has made a dream for himself, too, for the Hollywood red carpet is a long way from home for the little boy born in Campbelltown to Lebanese migrant parents. His is literally a rag(trade) to riches story.

As a child, Khalil remembers being profoundly captivated with folding, cutting and stitching fabric.

Nicolette Robinson at the Oscars after party

“From the age of about seven I used to pick up fabric and mould it and cut it and stitch it, and things like that, just by hand,” he recalls. “From seven I was always drawn to fabrics, textures and draping. I became obsessed and could always see beyond these elements. It became stronger and stronger as I got older.

“Throughout high school I did textiles and design, and I started really mastering the craft at that age. And then I went into TAFE, and then started working in the industry and gaining a lot more knowledge working with people, and a lot of older women, and learning the old school techniques, and also studying.”

While at school, he began volunteering in bridal boutiques, learning to bead, make patterns and hand sew at the elbows of experienced seamstresses, before at age 22 becoming creative director for Double Bay bridal boutique, Mark Holt. Six years later, he was ready to sew his own path, opening his eponymous bridal boutique in Paddington.

That was 17 years ago, when bridal fashion was more about simple lines and humble veils. These days, wedding couture, perhaps inspired by Disney princesses, social media and the rise and rise of celebrity culture, has become decidedly more elaborate.

Now, a Steven Khalil gown starts at $20,000, rising to six-figure sums for the most elaborate, jewel-encrusted styles.

While not all brides are seeking a Kardashian-style wedding, Khalil’s amazing creations cater to those searching for a picture-perfect experience that depicts the bride looking like a Hollywood star, just for one day, at events captured by high-end photographers and played out against amazing backdrops at Sydney’s best locations.

“Social media has provided a platform for brides to have their own red-carpet moment,” Khalil says simply.

And while the gowns may cost a small fortune, “each couture gown takes 10-12 months to create. All of our gowns are custom made in our atelier here in Paddington using the finest fabrics and finishes. That said, I am in the process of creating a new purchasable bridal line with a ready-to-wear price point.”

Khalil says beautiful wedding gowns are more than flashy dresses and, rather, are showpieces that become family treasures loved by generations.

“I hope they become family heirlooms and they are admired and looked at, and that people will say, ‘My great-grandmother wore this dress on her wedding day’,” he says. “And the name would be inside the dress in 50 to 100 years’ time, so that dress lives on.”

He adds that every bride has a different expectation and style, which helps create looks that are timeless.

“When I’m working with the brides, I am inspired by them and their style. So, I put myself into how they love to look and then I enhance that for their wedding day. You reinvent yourself with every bride.”

Apart from his bridal work, Khalil has reached dizzying heights in Hollywood, with his gowns worn by the world’s most photographed women. When Kylie Jenner wore Khalil’s creations not once, but on two highly publicised occasions, the Steven Khalil brand skyrocketed to new heights of fame and visibility.

“Once you’ve lived those golden moments, you’re like, ‘I'm done, I’m happy. I can die tomorrow’,” he says. “And I love a great red-carpet moment. I think for any designer to see their gown on a Hollywood red carpet is surreal and it’s an absolute dream come true.”

Khalil says designing couture for the red carpet rather than the matrimonial aisle allows for a little freedom to be sexier, more colourful, dramatic and experimental. But getting his designs on to A-listers is not as simple as offering his services.

Although his public relations team can approach the celebrities he’d relish dressing, as a small boutique Australian designer it can be tough to cut through, making those breakthrough moments all the more heart-stopping.

“A lot of the time those kinds of actresses are signed to the big guns, like Chanel, Dior, Givenchy, Valentino,” he explains. “But in a twist of fate, they could just love one of our pieces and it gets worn.”

The enchantment of Hollywood will always thrill, but Khalil’s parameters for ultimate success have settled on more humble ground.

“In the past it was all the glitz and glory that comes with being a great designer, but as I'm getting older, it's more about just being happy and healthy, and still being able to do what I love,” he says.

“That golden era is done and it’s time to move into the next phase now. What's really important as a designer is to evolve. You can't stay in the same spot.

“Eventually Steven Khalil will become a brand where you can just purchase the product rather than sitting with me and having that couture experience. I feel that will eventually fade out. To me, that's the only way the brand can keep going. Think of Dior, Chanel, Valentino ... all those designers; someone came along and carried on that legacy and I would really love that for the brand.”

Khalil says his legacy has long been intertwined with Paddington to the point that it almost isn’t his boutique anymore, but rather collectively owned in the hearts of the community.

“I feel obligated to the community because people stop me on the street and say, ‘Oh, I love your boutique. My daughter’s grown up looking at your windows.’ So I feel we're a part of Paddington history now."

Coming full-circle and designing gowns for the daughters of his original bridal clients is something Khalil is looking forward to in the not-too-distant future. “We’re not quite there yet,” he laughs, “but they’d better hurry up because I’m getting old.”

Steven Khalil Boutique

205 Glenmore Rd

stevenkhalil.com