Maticevski vs Rachel Gilbert: Two Australian Eveningwear Houses Compared

Maticevski vs Rachel Gilbert comes down to where the shape comes from. Maticevski builds it out of the cloth itself, folding and bonding fabric into structure, while Rachel Gilbert builds it from the inside with corsetry and then covers the surface in handwork. Both are Australian eveningwear houses and both cut on Australian sizing. At Coveti on 27 October 2026, a Maticevski evening gown sits at a median of $4,472 against $2,600 for Rachel Gilbert, and the Kingdom Gown, $3,100, with its petal-like skirt standing away from the body, shows the Maticevski half of the argument at a glance.

Key facts

• Origin: Maticevski was founded in Melbourne in 1999 by Toni Maticevski. Rachel Gilbert was founded in Sydney in 2007.
• Signature: Maticevski is known for sculpted cloth and its house bonded fabric. Rachel Gilbert is known for hand-draped detailing, hand embellishment and internal corsetry that shapes bust and waist.
• Evening gowns at Coveti: 27 Maticevski gowns at $2,200 to $12,300 (median $4,472) and 74 Rachel Gilbert gowns at $1,395 to $7,450 (median $2,600), checked 27 October 2026.
• Sizing: both houses cut on Australian sizing, which is the same number as UK sizing: AU 8 = UK 8 = US 4 = EU 36.

Two houses, two cities

Toni Maticevski started his label in Melbourne in 1999. He won the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival New Designer Award in 2002, showed at New York Fashion Week until 2010, was named the 2016 Australian Fashion Laureate and presented during the Couture season in Paris in 2017. The house makes in Melbourne, and its history page describes the work as the manipulation of cloth as sculpture.

Rachel Gilbert founded her label in Sydney in 2007 after training at the Whitehouse Institute of Design. She started with eveningwear, does the embellishment in-house, and is carried at Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman and Harrods; recent collections add suiting, jersey separates and a bridal offer. See who is Rachel Gilbert and the Rachel Gilbert collection at Coveti.

Design language: sculpted cloth against hand embellishment

A Maticevski piece makes its point with cut. The Spearhead Gown, $4,680, is cut from the house signature bonded fabric, with a sculptural embellishment sweeping out from the V-neckline. The Merit Dress in berry and cinnamon, $3,430, is bonded too, with a deep V-neckline finished by a black zip. At the top of the range, the Fixation Gown, $12,300, is hundreds of thin ribbon strips woven over a fitted body, breaking at the knee into a train.

A Rachel Gilbert gown makes its point with surface and with what sits underneath. The Rosalie Gown, $4,828, is densely hand embellished with silver sequins and claw stones over an internal corset and waist tape. The Francesca Flower Gown, $4,828, carries 280 hours of hand-sewn sequins, claw stones and beads. The Adeline Gown, $4,255, shows the drape side: hand draped through the waist, with an integrated corset and peaks across a curved bust line.

Fabrics

Maticevski fabrics are chosen to hold a shape. Of the 92 pieces in our pool, 41 are 100% polyester, the base for most of the bonded cloths. Silk turns up in 39 compositions: the crinkle cloths are 78% polyamide, 20% silk, 2% elastane, the Blitz fringe is 93% silk, and 22 pieces are lined in 93% silk, 7% elastane. Four use triacetate satin. The Claudine Gown, $3,500, is black stretch crepe with a curving white satin panel from shoulder to hem.

Rachel Gilbert works in softer cloths that take drape and carry beading. The Pamina Gown, $3,240, is hand-draped silk gathered across a strapless sweetheart bust, built over a nude bodysuit. The Marlo Gown, $2,943, is silk wool with hand draping across bust and waist and a single off-the-shoulder sleeve. Elsewhere the range uses moss crepe, satin blends, Italian jersey and silk-blend velvet.

Price at Coveti

Maticevski costs more at the gown end: eight of its 27 evening gowns are $5,000 and above, against four of 74 for Rachel Gilbert. Rachel Gilbert has more choice below $3,000: 47 of its gowns sit there, against six for Maticevski. The most expensive Rachel Gilbert gown in stock is $7,450; the Florentine Gown, $5,843, hand beaded in tonal gold, marks the upper band. Across the whole range the gap narrows: the median Maticevski piece is $2,400 against $2,180 for Rachel Gilbert, whose 194 pieces include earrings from $250.

Sizing and fit

Both houses use Australian sizing, so AU 10 is a UK 10, a US 6 and an EU 38. Maticevski runs AU 6 to 14 on most current pieces, some to 16. Rachel Gilbert advises choosing by bust measurement, because its corsetry gives little stretch.

Which occasions each suits

Bridal. Maticevski is sold through bridal stockists including Harrods and Bluebell Bridal in Melbourne. The Excitement Gown, $5,016, has a sculpted crepe bodice and a cascade of organza ruffles, and the Voyager Gown, $2,600, is a white column with cape sleeves, a plunging V-neckline and a walking split. Rachel Gilbert has a bridal offer of its own.

Black tie. The Kayla Gown, $2,943, is cut for modern black-tie dressing and entirely hand embellished with overlapping flat square sequins. The Maticevski answer is the Claudine Gown, black crepe cut against a single white satin line.

Cocktail and racing. The Invoke Dress in stone, $2,400, is an off-the-shoulder midi with a sculptural ruffle. The Florida Dress in emerald, $2,508, is a satin-blend midi with a boned bodice and long sleeves, described for evening and daytime events. More in Maticevski for spring racing.

Which should you choose

Choose Maticevski if you want the dress to be the architecture: a strong shoulder, a skirt that stands away from the body, one colour worked hard. It suits a bride who wants a modern line and a black-tie guest who wants to stand apart. Expect to pay more for a gown.

Choose Rachel Gilbert if you want shine, support and a defined waist. The internal corset shapes bust and waist, the handwork is placed to catch the light, and there is far more choice under $3,000. It suits a wedding guest, a mother of the bride and a gala where sparkle is expected.

If you like one house and want to look wider, brands like Maticevski and brands like Rachel Gilbert map the neighbours on each side.

Buying Maticevski at Coveti

Every piece is authentic and checked before dispatch, and ships worldwide by insured express courier (DHL Express and FedEx International Priority). Most regions ship Delivered Duty Unpaid, so local duties and taxes are payable on delivery. Sizes on Coveti are shown on the UK ladder, which matches the Australian numbers both houses use. Full terms are in the logistics and returns protocol.

Frequently asked questions

Is Maticevski more expensive than Rachel Gilbert?

For gowns, yes. At Coveti on 27 October 2026 the median Maticevski evening gown was $4,472 against $2,600 for Rachel Gilbert. Across all pieces the gap is smaller: a median of $2,400 for Maticevski and $2,180 for Rachel Gilbert.

Are Maticevski and Rachel Gilbert both Australian?

Yes. Maticevski was founded in Melbourne in 1999 by Toni Maticevski and makes its pieces in Melbourne. Rachel Gilbert was founded in Sydney in 2007. Both cut on Australian sizing.

What is the difference between Maticevski and Rachel Gilbert design?

Maticevski shapes the body with sculpted, often bonded cloth, so the structure is in the fabric. Rachel Gilbert shapes it with internal corsetry and hand draping, then adds hand-sewn sequins, beads and claw stones to the surface.

Do Maticevski and Rachel Gilbert fit the same?

Both use Australian sizing, the same number as UK sizing, so AU 8 is UK 8, US 4 and EU 36. Rachel Gilbert advises choosing by bust measurement because its corsetry gives little stretch through bust and waist.

Is Maticevski better than Rachel Gilbert for a wedding?

For a bride who wants a modern, architectural line, Maticevski is the stronger choice, with white gowns such as the Excitement Gown and the Voyager Gown. For a guest who wants shine and a defined waist, a Rachel Gilbert gown with internal corsetry suits better.

Where can I buy both brands together?

Coveti stocks both, with 92 Maticevski pieces and 194 Rachel Gilbert pieces live on 27 October 2026. Every piece is authenticated and ships worldwide by insured express courier.

Read next

Is Maticevski a luxury brand, Maticevski wedding guest dresses, where to buy Maticevski, Australian evening wear designers.

More Maticevski guides

Who is Maticevski, the Maticevski size guide, the Maticevski price guide, and the full Maticevski collection at Coveti.

Sources and method

Checked on 27 October 2026 by Gemma Deeks, Fashion Editor at Coveti. Product facts are the brands’ own product-page text; prices, counts, ranges and medians are computed from the live Coveti catalogue on that date and move with stock. Maticevski pieces are linked only where also full price and in stock at maticevski.com that day. Where a claim could not be checked it was left out.

• maticevski.com, History: founding, awards and presentations
• maticevski.com, Stockists, including bridal stockists
• Coveti, Who is Rachel Gilbert: founding, training, signature and stockists
• Coveti, Who is Maticevski: the house history, checked July 2026
• Coveti live catalogue, Rachel Gilbert, 27 October 2026: 194 pieces
• Coveti live catalogue, Maticevski, 27 October 2026: 92 pieces

Gemma Deeks is Fashion Editor at Coveti. Prices, stock and counts on this page were checked against coveti.com and maticevski.com on 27 October 2026.