THE PERFECT ASSISTANT

“I hate shopping. There’s nothing out there for my shape.”

“I always have to get my pants and skirts altered after I buy them.”

“Because my butt is not proportioned with my waist, I get this annoying gap in my waistband.”

These are just a few concerns I've heard over the years working as a dressmaker.

In grade school, I took a home economics class and the project for the sewing portion of the class was a pillow. My pillow was a jar with lightning bugs. I used sky-blue cotton fabric shaped like a jar with grey felt for the lid and yellow felt for the bugs. When I completed this fascinating pillow, I wanted to sew more stuff. I loved the process of putting pieces of fabric together and cutting patterns. My mom and grandmother purchased me a sewing machine and I took on a keen interest in sewing.

Enter adulthood, I went to college and worked for a few companies including Verizon, The Hilton, and Capital One. Although I made good money, I wasn’t happy. I couldn’t see how I was going to make a mark in this world. I couldn’t see how I was going to help other people. I sold a property I had and took the proceeds to start a clothing line. I rented studio space and bought equipment and materials. I made all my patterns and samples. The line was called Laurianda and I called it “girly girl clothes for girly ladies” because it consisted of youthful elements like ruffles and bows yet clean enough to show your independent mature side. 

We sold at trade shows in hopes of a whirlwind of wholesale orders. Although we were able to catch a few orders and boutique placements, it wasn’t enough. As an underdog in the industry, I learned buyers don’t come running to you just because you have cute clothes. Are you able to meet delivery dates? Your samples are great but will the order arrive just as good? Will my customer buy what you have?

The market was saturated with fashion designers. With the click of a button, you can place a production order for a design and have it produced internationally for cheap. Once you get it into the USA, sell it for a profit. I understood this profitable concept, but I wanted to build a company that is personal with its workers and doesn't promote fast fashion.

I had to revamp my plans and decide how to build a brand based on values. I went back to my roots and started sewing custom garments for clients. It was one of the best business decisions I made because I learned:

1. Who was my customer
2. What problem I can solve for them

“How do I keep my skirt waistband from wrinkling up and rolling down?”

“My skirts either fit my hips or my waist. It’s hard to find one that fits both.”

This feedback from my customer lead me to an idea to solve fitting issues and style issues. I came up with a new concept for shapewear. 

The Perfect Assistant is a versatile new skirt design with a powerful, tummy-slimming cinch, hand-tailored and impossibly comfortable. Designed with all body types in mind, the waistband facing is secret corset with channels of steel boning. It shapes the waist while the skirt portion skims the hips. Perfect for all body types including pear and apple shapes. 

But more than this, The Perfect Assistant is made in the USA by a team of artisans - training side by side, pushing the envelope and forging bright careers ahead. 

I took this invention full force. I taught a few ambitious women how to sew. I grew the company through the skill of sewing and marketing our services as cut & sew. In addition to custom garment making for women, we hosted a series of manufacturing contracts including upholstery covers for office furniture for Open Plans System, nursing scrubs and face mask for various private nursing companies, little girl formal dressed for Christine Falcon’s The Tulle Princess, women’s handbags for Starks-Rankin, and character dolls for the hit book Tabula Raisa by Eric Townsend. 

With these accounts, I have been able to run a debt-free company and take part in community development. We have partnerships with the following community development programs:

• Our partnership with the Visual Arts Center of Richmond has allowed us to impart sewing skills to adults and kids. The Visual Arts Center of Richmond (VisArts) has helped adults and children explore their creativity and make art since 1963. Each year, the organization touches the lives of more than 40,000 people through its classes, exhibitions, community outreach programs, camps, workshops and special events.
• Our partnership with Make Space help us to show young women the fun in creating something they made. Make Space pairs 14 sixth-grade girls—all of whom attend Anna Julia Cooper Episcopal School—with 14 women for a year of mentorship and art-making.
• Lastly, Oakwood Arts has allowed us to present the skill of sewing from a business perspective. Oakwood Arts make art and careers in creative industries accessible to all through community engagement, inspiring programming, and experiential education. Their programs include classes and workshops that focus on the digital and technical skills students need to succeed in the creative workforce.

The Perfect Assistant can be purchased online or through a scheduled private session. During our sessions with customers, we take accurate measurements, view skirt styles, select fabric options, and customize the length for the client’s height. When you purchase a skirt, you're supporting skill development in our local community and fashion sustainability.

Our garments are made in the USA by trained artisans. Each artisan is treated fairly and we provide a safe, creative environment for production.

We are not a "run of the mill" sewing company. Nor do we order huge factory productions from overseas and sell through any sales channel in hopes of depleting inventory and turning a profit. Instead, we work with people who care about quality, craftsmanship, and personal development.

We offer our artisans FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING, SAME DAY PAY, and ONGOING TRAINING.

WORK FOR US!

You are not just working for a fashion company but you are working for a company that believes in personal development and financial security.