I decided to begin a blog to share my origin story, mission, and process, as well as to simply give you with a little insight into what is going on in my business. I’ll start at the beginning.

 Inspiration Strikes

Following the COVID shutdown, I was with my daughters at Unique, a vast secondhand store comparable to Goodwill. It was November of 2020. The girls made a beeline straight to the denim section, so I did what I always did. I headed to the dresses, hoping to find some inspiration. I’ve always appreciated vintage gowns for their hand-crafted details and construction. Upon coming across a beautiful 1950s satin wedding dress with re-embroidered lace appliques and a separate long train, I thought, who is going to wear this? Teeny tiny in size, the dress was lined in a heavy, stiff fabric with a boxy fit and high neck (not to mention a few stains). I purchased it on a whim, not knowing at the time that the process of transforming that dress would be the beginning of my business, Maybelle. 

Upcycling Begins 

 Back in my home studio, I began cutting away the lining and sketching ideas for the transformation. To upsize the new dress, the empire waist was dropped. A wide section of the appliqued train was added to the hem for length. A new bustier bodice was made from deadstock lining. Overlaying two layers of tulle (sheer net) to the skirt and adding horizontal crinoline bands, called horsehair, to the underlayer kept the A-line silhouette from collapsing. Varying widths add interest, you know! Tying it all together, the appliques were placed on the underlayer of skirt and the tulle was professionally draped over the bodice. Delicate appliques were artfully placed to veil the midriff seam and the original back buttons were sewn back on. Finally, the dress was complete! Following feedback and encouragement from family and friends, I sourced more dresses and widened my network of drapers, sewers, and suppliers.

 A Little About Me 

 I am a fashion designer specializing in creating bridal wear and outfits for social occasions. I grew up in Minnesota and was enamored with fashion for as long as I can remember. Throughout my childhood, I anticipated getting the latest issue of Vogue in the mail and would spend hours poring over it from cover to cover. At nineteen, moving to New York City to study fashion at the Parsons School of Design was a dream come true. Fast forward to today and I am balancing a career in bridal design while being a mom to two teenage girls.

I have a ton of content to share, but I’d love to hear from you and answer any questions that you may have. Please sign up for my newsletter and follow me on Instagram at @maybellenyc

 I can’t wait to connect!