Customers are greeted by an explosion of colour when they walk into Susan’s Couture on Gatton Road in Tooting.

It’s a sunny Tuesday morning, and Susan warmly welcomes us to her shop. Showing us around, she is understandably proud of her business and of the magnificent clothes on display, which showcase her vast experience in designing African and European women’s and men’s fashion.

Susan learnt all about textiles and clothing design as a child in Ghana, before starting her business in London over twenty years ago. She sells off-the-peg clothing (which she can alter to any fit), as well as accessories such as handbags and jewellery, but it’s her flair for design that keeps customers coming back to her shop again and again.

Her talent and imagination enables her to conceive any style for any occasion – wedding, parties, formal, casual, you name it. Just tell Susan what you want, or even bring her a design to work on (she’s currently recreating a Ralph Lauren dress worn by Emma Watson for a client) – with a lifetime’s dressmaking experience, it comes second nature to her. And whilst mainly dealing in women’s and children’s fashion, she’s just as adept in whipping up a man’s suit too!
 

Customers come from as far as Kent and Oxford to buy her clothes, many of whom have been buying from her for twenty years and refuse to go anywhere else. Margo, a regular customer, told us that Susan designed a dress for her for a charity ball: “I was so happy with it,” says Margo, “and people wouldn’t stop complimenting me and asking where I got it from!”

“This is why I love what I do,” replies Susan, “I take real joy in my work, and feel immense satisfaction when my clothes make people so happy!”

Susan prides herself on her skill, attention to detail and quality of the fabric that she uses: “the fabric is sourced ethically, nothing is mass-produced, and as a result, my clothes last for years,” says Susan, “unlike the cheap garments that you can buy in some chain stores.”
 

Susan’s amazing clothes really have to be seen to be believed, so why not drop in and she’ll happily talk to you about your requirements. Prices start from a mere £20. She’s open 10am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday.

Find out more at her website, email her at susan@susanscouture.co.uk, and follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.