I technically didn't go to school for what I’m doing now . . . it wasn't what I had initially planned when I decided to apply for design school. Being a “small town” girl growing up in Hawaii, when I thought of fashion I was transported to handmade wedding gowns and couture ateliers of Paris - this is what I envisioned when I decided I wanted to be a fashion designer. It was way before the TV show, Project Runway. Fashion design was such an unrealistic profession that when I finally graduated, people at home would ask if I could ‘hem their pants’ because all they knew about fashion was sewing.
I don't know why I chose Design Studio or couture to focus my studies on, maybe it was the dream of becoming a wedding dress designer, or maybe it was the connection to my upbringing and ancestry - always being at arm’s length to the silk kimonos that my aunty kept wrapped in tissue and stored in boxes. And when we finally could touch them, I remember being in awe of the silk and the hand stitching (that you could never really see), the way they could use a thicker fabric inside to make the collar stand straight, but the silk was thin and almost see through. The idea of being able to take something one-dimensional like fabric and force it into different shapes fascinated me.
The reason I’m telling you this story is because I was technically trained to work in a couture house. The word couture is a French word meaning “dressmaking” or “sewing”. It refers to the design, creation, and sale of custom-made, high-end, and exclusive fashion that is meticulously crafted by hand for a specific client. At school, we were assigned a fit model at the beginning of the year, and every lesson, every technical skill we learned was to be used to make a high-end, custom garment for a specific person.
I realize now that my gift lies in being able to use all of the technical skills I’ve been taught - on how to use darts, seams, pleats and gathers to shape a flat one-dimensional fabric into pieces that flatter the body. I didn't learn how to mass produce garments, I learned how to use fabric to obtain a specific end result, no matter the cost, time, or effort.
And that is what I do today, not just for one specific person and not in a high-end exclusive way. I think my purpose was to take my fascination with fabric, my technical skills and my experiences as an aging woman - to make customized garments for more women. Something that is reserved for a specific group of people, I wanted to make it accessible to women without the unlimited bank account.
I know some of you would still say that our prices are “expensive” but if you could understand the level of consideration, thought, time and craftsmanship that is put into each piece, you’d be able to see its immense value. From my discerning taste (pickiness) for quality fabrics, to my creating patterns and shapes that are needed - no shortcuts or compromises. If the style needs a wider armhole, it's an intentional choice (even though it may cost more to make). We know that each choice in our patterns is deliberate and needed.
And for years, as an entrepreneur - I’ve avoided raising our prices, absorbing the rising cost of fabric, shipping and manufacturing. As we have worked to expand our reach, we have come to the realization that we do not currently make a profit - something I can no longer overlook. It was a priority of mine to offer high quality garments at an affordable price and we have worked for years to protect this price point.
So the time has come for us to make a meaningful choice — to raise our prices so we can keep the intention of our brand - high quality fabrics, intentional design, meaningful design choices and quality craftsmanship (we still make our garments in the USA). With that being said, we wanted to offer you the last of our current styles at their current pricing - some styles have been additionally marked down.
As we move to increase our pricing it comes with other benefits as well - more custom colors, more custom prints, and hopefully being able to expand our product offering, to carry more styles at one time. We’re constantly working to find better fabric partners, better factories and more opportunities to continue to offer you the highest quality garment for the most comparable price. As a team, it’s our mission to offer styles that feel like they were made just for you — even though you're not able to step into a Paris atelier. That is my hope, that is my dream, I thank you for your continued support of me, this team and this brand.
