Alquema is an Australian occasion wear label based in Sydney, known for handmade, hand-pleated garments using a crushed-pleat technique refined over more than forty years. Its dress and coat sets are popular for mother of the bride and destination weddings.

Alquema

Q: What is Alquema known for?

The pleating. Alquema's signature crushed pleats make the dresses light, fluid and completely crease-resistant, in bold ombres and prints. The fabric flatters without clinging and packs flat without ironing, which few occasion labels can claim.

Q: Where can I buy Alquema in the UK?

Through boutique stockists, including The Queen B Boutique in Penarth, near Cardiff. We carry Alquema dress and coat sets fitted through personal styling appointments.

Q: Is Alquema true to size?

The pleated fabric stretches and skims, so Alquema is one of the most forgiving labels we stock and often fits across a size range. Try it at an appointment; most customers are surprised by how flattering the pleats are on.

Q: Are Alquema dresses good for weddings abroad?

They are the best travellers on our rails. The pleating means no creases out of a suitcase, the fabric is light in heat, and the coat layers for an evening breeze. If your wedding is a flight away, start with Alquema.

Alquema

Scrunch an Alquema dress into a ball and it comes out perfect. That is the party trick of the Sydney label's hand-pleating, a crushed-pleat technique the brand has refined over decades. The Queen B carries Alquema dress and coat sets in ombres and prints you will not meet twice.

Every piece is handmade and hand-pleated, so the fabric moves like liquid and weighs next to nothing. Sunrise ombres, twilight blues, cherry and tangerine: the colours are the boldest in our occasion boutique, and the pleats catch light with every step.

Mothers of the bride heading abroad ask for Alquema by name, because the dresses travel in a suitcase without a crease and forgive a long flight. The matching coats finish the outfit for a ceremony and come off for the dancing.

Book a styling appointment in Penarth and feel the pleating for yourself. Photographs have never once done it justice.

Frequently Asked Questions