Part 3: How a radical personal transformation led me to start a clothing brand

In May, two months after moving into 265, a man in a baseball hat and T-shirt walked by my open door and saw the mannequins in headpieces, wearing the lace bodysuits I'd sewn to match the headpieces. He burst in - "what is going on in HERE??" We met, spoke. He said he was a garment producer, that he made garments HAPPEN. Whatever his brands dreamed, he could help them make reality. Wow.

For years I'd been sewing my own leotards, jumpsuits, dresses, tops, coats and more. I began drawing and designing clothes when I was 9, maybe earlier, and at age 11 I sewed my first dress out of a bed sheet and then painted it with sparkly green and iridescent puff paint. So 90's. The obsession just kept going, and for years people would ask me where they could get their own version of what I was wearing. I never had an answer, because the process of garment production for the masses was a total mystery (and I figured it might be very expensive to start). But here was a man who had all the answers, finding me right when I was contemplating going back to school for fashion design. I told him I'd always wanted this, but that I needed to think about it. "Make some sketches and let's talk in 10 days."

Now, I had about $16,000 in savings - the remaining amount from a severance package I received in 2020 when my boss, a former CEO of Sony and a Sir, retired and moved back to England (another story) - the rest I'd invested for my daughter's future. This was my rainy day fund. I almost never touched it, but maybe this was the moment to put it all on red, so to say. I sketched the designs that had been in my head for years and I started working with my producer, G, on June 1, 2025. He gave me his lowest price possible, just wanting to help a talented mom. "I've only seen talent like this once or twice in 30 years of producing for designers." Wow. Humbling compliment.  

G took me to Klauber Bros. Lace, and I met Andy, their head rep for 40 years. I bought some lace and G had my first patterns made. Andy helped me produce my own original lace fabric, too - inspired by a few vintage scraps I had, and the poppy flower. It's a particularly beautiful large scale floral pattern with at least 4 different layers of opacity and you can only get it from my brand.

When Andy saw the lace jumpsuits, he sat me down and asked how big I wanted to get. I didn't really have an answer but I said, big enough that I could help make the fashion world a lower plastic, more sustainable industry. Caring for the environment has always been my passion. He had never personally collaborated with a client before, but he booked a meeting with me, G and the head of the company, to discuss a partnership. I spent the next few weeks sketching as much as possible, putting together a presentation, and we all met in September 2025.

To make a long story short, Andy became my collaborator and helped me get off the ground. I founded the company on Halloween, 2025, and launched my first few pieces in February 2026. And now...I'm in the trenches between production and marketing. Ha! But any new business will tell you that. So here we are. You found me at the part of the journey where I build this thing. A lot of what's here so far is what I'd call elevated basics. They're super gorgeous and I completely stand behind them, but I'll be veering back to wearable art a bit more as I move forward. Still, we all need a silk blouse sometimes, and I ADORE the cargo pants. I'm the kind of woman who invests in just a few really top quality luxury basics that look better over time, rather than cheap things that will wear out or not hold their shape and need replacing in a year or two. That's the ethos behind this brand. 

Anyway, if you read this far, thanks for being here!! I look forward to sharing more with you. There are beautiful stories of love, creativity and adventure to share and I look forward to writing more.