Creating beautiful, meaningful pieces has been a lifelong passion for me. Growing up in Milwaukee, I had a very strong bond with my grandma that grew with each new sewing project we worked on together (maybe because I was the only grandchild out of eleven she taught to sew!). This amazing woman gave me the skills that shaped the rest of my life! I turned my love for building beautiful things into a career after studying apparel design at the University of Wisconsin and Fashion Institute of Technology - NY. I returned to Milwaukee in 2003 and spent a few years wandering around rather aimlessly, crafting here and there, but wasn't really sure of the direction I wanted to take my design career. In 2008 I opened my first Etsy shop, featuring a collection of contemporary knit dresses under the label “Mink”. Then my friends started getting married and asking me to make gowns for them and their bridesmaids. Word spread to friends of friends and my custom bridal business took off. That’s when I changed my label to “MinkMaids”. I’ve been exclusively designing bridal and special occasion gowns since 2009, finally launching my first bridal collection in 2015 (and using it to breathe new air into my Etsy shop!) My inaugural collection features 7 pieces inspired by some of my favorite past bespoke brides and are available in an array of colors – shades of gold, blue, ivory, silver and blush. These silhouettes reflect my own design aesthetic and the style of bride I really mesh well with. I love to design for the woman who doesn’t see herself in the usual white wedding gown. A woman who wants to show her personality on her wedding day and is ok with stepping out of the box with color and pattern, rather than just wearing what everyone expects from a bride.
MinkMaids specializes in modern, clean silhouettes with design elements that set the pieces apart – color, pattern, shine, fabrication, and draping techniques.
I'm often asked about my favorite aspect of designing gowns. It's difficult to give just one answer. I have two favorite things that are totally different – 1) I love the challenge of building a gown – coming up with the design and then figuring out how to actually make it work. The “building” part, creating something with my own hands, has always been my favorite part of design. 2) On a personal level, I love building relationships with my brides and their friends and families as I create something beautiful for such a special day. Being there to see these women see themselves as a bride for the first time always gets me! Most of my past brides have become dear friends because of how closely we work together. Let’s be real – as exciting as it is to plan a wedding, it can also be super stressful! It’s important to me to give my brides a fun, loving experience – something they can be thrilled about when RSVPs and seating charts get to be too much.
When a bride places an order for one of my Collection gowns through Etsy she can expect the same level of service and care that I put into my Bespoke gowns. I build each of my gowns from scratch, specifically for each bride. From the moment a customer clicks "place order" to the day her very special gown arrives at her doorstep, I hope each of my brides knows that I am JUST as excited as she is! She is on my mind every step of the way - from creating a pattern based on her specific measurements, laying out and cutting the luxurious fabrics that she'll dance the night away in, meticulously constructing each and every seam, then carefully wrapping the gown for shipping - my heart goes in to every detail. My goal is for each of my brides - near and far - to feel that love and that passion when she opens the MinkMaids box, steps in to her wedding gown, and sees herself as a bride.