About Us
One of Chicago’s best kept secrets for the last 30 years is your go-to atelier for fashion. The Work Room at Belle started out as The Dress Doctor by Soheila Ghofrani and her team of expert seamstresses can finely replicate any article of clothing, even from a photo, garnering praise from Vogue magazine as the best “Copy Cat” in the Midwest. Now after years of working with her daughter Giselle, she has taken over the business and created The Workroom at Belle.
Specializing in couture and high-end contemporary designs for men and women, The Workroom at Belle can take any alteration to the next level by meticulously fitting and adjusting clothing to suit any figure without ruining the integrity of the garment. Specialties include precision tailoring, custom garment construction and reconstruction, repair, resizing, and bridal alterations.
The Workroom at Belle prides itself on collaborating with both up-and-coming and established artists to design for any event. In addition to design assistance, our team will assist in both sample and production pattern-making, sending out patterns for grading and marking, and will create samples or duplicates for any runway or showroom. We also provide guidance regarding fabric and trim sourcing, content and care labels, and size labels. A small production lot can also be utilized with no minimums.
From custom couture garments and wardrobe organization, to imagining and creating a new clothing line, The Workroom At Belle is dedicated to making every client’s design ideas a reality through outstanding customer service and attention to detail.
The best "Copy Cat" in the Midwest - Vogue Magazine
One of Chicago's "Women to Watch" - Today's Chicago Woman
Best Wedding Dress Updater - Chicago Magazine
"A miracle worker" - Chicago Social
Soheila Ghofrani, also known as The Dress Doctor, has been an expert in her craft for over 30 years.
Her childhood summers were spent working for her uncle, a prominent tailor in Iran. Constantly surrounded by threads and needles, she learned French sewing techniques from both her uncle and her mother at home. Eventually Soheila decided to study Architecture, moving to the United States in 1979. To supplement her income, she would sew and make small alterations for her professors.
Upon realizing that her passion was for fashion design, Soheila changed her focus and began taking classes at Ray-Vogue College of Design. There she met her mentor who suggested she work at a company called The Dress Doctor to gain more experience. She bought The Dress Doctor a year later in 1986.
An expert in garment construction, she can completely restyle existing garments, make an identical replica of a couture gown, or custom design with a client's specific lifestyle in mind. Her talents have been praised throughout multiple media outlets.
Soheila's daughter, Giselle Ghofrani, has also paved a way for herself in the fashion world. Designing from a young age, she now has her own custom design label and bridal boutique Belle Atelier.