Designer Rene Hill has branched out into the wedding business.

And she is set to stock some of the biggest names in dresses for the big day from top international designers, including New York-based Kleinfeld, the wedding store featured in the hit reality TV show Say Yes to the Dress.

Other top names in the wedding business to be carried are Australian designer Mori Lee and Milano Formal, based in California.

Ms Hill said: “They are all very significant names in the wedding industry. This allows us to offer middle range gowns from $300 up to $10,000 for a dress from Tony Ward, who is sold exclusively at Kleinfeld.”

The designer, who opened a studio just over a year ago in Hamilton offering alterations and dressmaking, explained customer demand led to her decision to expand her business.

Ms Hill said: “We started getting people asking for different dresses and they said they couldn’t get what they wanted here.

“A lot of times, people don’t want to have to go to the States to get their dress or they want something that’s not on offer here.”

Ms Hill added she started looking at options to supply wedding dresses only last December — and was stunned by how fast things developed.

The new-to-the-island designers were launched at the Fairmont Southampton’s Orchid Nail Spa’s wedding expo on St Valentine’s Day.

Ms Hill said: “We were the only people there offering not just dresses but alterations for gowns and bridesmaid’s dresses and also men’s suits.

“We’re also offering made-to-measure men’s suits from a top company in the UK.”

She added: “In addition to alterations to existing wedding attire and sales of formalwear, Weddings By René and its partner Definitions by Deane can turn ideas into a unique, exquisitely designed and manufactured bridal or formal gown.”

The new service can be found at the weddingsbyrene.com, which is expected to be live by the weekend and Ms Hill has also teamed up with Shannon’s Boutique to supply wedding attire, including tuxedos, to buy or rent.

Ms Hill said: “There’s definitely a strong market — we’ve sold four wedding gowns and bridesmaid’s dresses already — they’re just flying out and that’s in less than two weeks.”

She added: “We do a full service, so people get the cost of alterations for bridesmaid’s dresses included in the total price. They can just buy the dresses or get the alterations done at one flat price, which makes things simpler.”

Ms Hill launched her studio at the end of 2014 in Hamilton House on Queen Street, Hamilton, at the end of 2014.

The skilled seamstress left a job as a feature writer at The Royal Gazette in 2011 to cut a new path as a designer, setting up Rene Hill Originals, a range of accessories including woollen scarves, purses and jewellery made under fair trade principles.

She also worked as in-house tailor at a Hamilton clothes store — but had to quit after her sideline in clothes alteration took off.

Her studio now employs four people part-time and she is on the hunt for a qualified full-timer.

Ms Hill said: “The alterations business is doing very well. It’s about 25 per cent men, 70 per cent women and the rest alterations to things like curtains and cushion covers.”

She has shown her own designs at the small boutique fashion week during New York’s Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in 2013, as well as fashion shows in Bermuda, including the Premier’s fashion show in 2011.

She is now eyeing the market in prom dresses for high school graduations, with orders taken already.

Ms Hill said: “We’re getting ready for a lot of those. It’s all go here.”

Ms Hill, who sees clients by appointment only, can also be contacted at 535-0154 or on e-mail at info@weddingsbyrene.com.