A Dearborn fashion designer who left dentistry behind to follow her passion is now turning fabric into one-of-a-kind wedding gowns — and, in at least one case, a lasting friendship.
Watch Faraz Javed's report below
Bahijah Bazzi runs her own atelier in Dearborn, where she creates custom evening gowns and wedding dresses by hand, handling everything from concept to the final dress herself.
"Because these are the moments people dream about before they get to live them," Bazzi said.
The 30-year-old always knew she wanted to be a designer. But like many Arab American parents, hers hoped she would choose a more traditional path.
"As a little kid, I always told my parents I wanted to be a designer or some sort of artist," Bazzi said.
She chose dentistry instead — drawn to what she described as its blend of art and science.
"Dentistry is the closest thing to an artistic science background," Bazzi said.
Three years in, she walked away. Her parents, she said, ultimately supported the decision.
"It was a little harder on my dad than it was on my mom. There was something in me that just wasn't alive anymore. And they wanted to see my spark again. And they knew that if I went to fashion school, that it would come back," Bazzi said.
In 2018, Bazzi graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. She has since opened her Dearborn studio, where she works alone.
"The space means everything to me," Bazzi said.
That personal, hands-on approach drew bride Shereen Abdelhak to her door after months of searching for the right dress.
"Every girl that's in her bridal era knows the struggle of being on a dress hunt," Abdelhak said.
A friend suggested Shereen meet Bazzi. During one of their conversations, Abdelhak shared a story about her mother.
"My mom couldn't afford a wedding dress at the time that she got married. So she ended up wearing a wedding dress to her sister's wedding because she finally could buy her own at the time. And I thought to myself, I wish I could wear this dress," Abdelhak said.
Bazzi was listening. The story inspired the design.
"And then that inspired this whole look the corset lacy top using my mom's old wedding dress," Abdelhak said.
For Abdelhak, that moment changed everything.
"I think her inspiring that idea was... The moment I was like, my God, she really does have my best interests in mind," Abdelhak said.
Bazzi said her standard for every client is the same.
"I will never give a client a dress that I personally wouldn't wear it to myself," Bazzi said.
What began as a designer-client relationship grew into something more. Bazzi attended Abdelhak's destination wedding.
"We're like best friends," Bazzi said.
"When I think of Bahijah, I just think of how much we laugh together," Abdelhak said.
"I felt like I couldn't get married without her there," Abdelhak said.
Today, Bazzi said she is living the dream she always imagined — and she knows who to thank.
"I wouldn't be here without my parents. Even though at the beginning it was a little hard for them to accept, my parents have been my cheerleaders from day one," Bazzi said.
To learn more visit: bahijahbazzi.com
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