As I continue sharing the stories behind our early custom pieces ahead of launching DAWANG Made to Order, the next project that meant a lot to me is the wedding of Harry and Dom. This order marked an exciting milestone for DAWANG — it was our first customization featuring embroidery and embellishments, opening a new chapter in how storytelling could live within the garments themselves.
Building the Canvas
Harry and Dom’s wedding carried a strong red color theme, a color that symbolizes joy, celebration, and good fortune in Chinese culture. Because the pieces would include detailed embroidery, we decided to begin with a more solid tone red base fabric blended with subtle floral cloud patterns. The goal was to create a foundation that felt rich and ceremonial while still allowing the embroidery to remain the focal point without becoming visually overwhelming.
Designing the Embroidery Story
One of the most special parts of this project was that Harry designed the embroidery himself.
The centerpiece of the design featured a pond with 鸳鸯 (mandarin ducks). In Chinese culture, mandarin ducks are one of the most well-known symbols of love, devotion, and lifelong partnership. Because mandarin ducks are believed to mate for life, they represent marital happiness, loyalty, and harmony between partners, making them a meaningful symbol often associated with weddings and relationships.
Harry’s design translated this symbolism into a poetic visual scene — a peaceful pond where the mandarin ducks live together. Beyond the pond, Harry included architectural elements with personal significance to both Harry and Dom. These structures were thoughtfully incorporated to tell a deeper story, combining cultural symbolism and personal meaning.
For Harry’s shirt, we created a fuller, collaborative embroidery that merged all the details: the pond with 鸳鸯, the meaningful architectures in the background, and subtle fish embellishments around the pond. These three-dimensional touches brought the scene to life, allowing the jacket pocket to feel like a small world unfolding. By weaving together elements from both Harry’s and Dom’s designs, the embroidery became a shared narrative, celebrating their connection in a new and visually striking way.
To enhance the storytelling, I added fish embellishments we had from Ada Chen's previous collab around the pond embroidery, creating small three-dimensional elements that brought the scene more to life. These details were carefully placed around the jacket pocket area, allowing the embroidery and embellishments to feel like a small world unfolding on the garment.
Two Looks, Two Visions
Harry and Dom each had a very clear vision for their wedding looks.
For Harry, we leaned into a more traditional silhouette with an oversized fit. His look featured an oversized button up shirt with flared sleeve with a pant-skirt hybrid and a draped belt detail flowing down the pants, creating movement and ceremonial presence. The belt also included double happiness (囍) embroidery, another design element created by Harry himself, symbolizing joy and blessings for marriage in Chinese culture.
For Dom, the approach was different. His look was designed with a more Western tailoring influence, creating a suit silhouette that balanced the traditional elements of Harry’s look while still feeling cohesive as a pair.
Together, the two outfits reflected both of their personalities and cultural references — blending tradition, symbolism, and contemporary tailoring.
A Story Worn on Their Wedding Day
Seeing the finished pieces come to life on Harry and Dom during their wedding day was incredibly special.
This project pushed DAWANG’s customization into new territory — introducing embroidery, embellishment, and collaborative storytelling with the clients themselves. Watching Harry’s designs transform from sketches into embroidered scenes on the garments made the process even more meaningful.
It was truly an honor to create these pieces for them and to witness the joy they carried while wearing them on such an important day.
Moments like this are exactly why DAWANG Made to Order exists — to create garments that hold personal stories, cultural symbols, and memories that last far beyond the celebration itself. ✨
