About us
Our story
We are a fabric manufacturing company and retailer. Moreover, we have our own tailor’s shop that makes costumes for the stage and historical re-enactments, clothing for women’s sports events, ballet and much more. We work directly with end customers to perfectly satisfy their requests while being flexible and competitive. Our talented staff works closely as a team, which has helped our business to grow constantly despite the recent recession. Since the day we opened our doors, we’ve consistently invested in our human capital, ideas and innovation.
About me
I’m in charge of the tailor’s shop and customer care, but my main job and passion is pattern design.
When the idea of designing a to-scale dress form kept cropping up in my head, I did some research and a feasibility analysis to find information on costs and production times.
I wanted to create such a mannequin for my job and, thanks to years of experience in the industry, I knew exactly how it should be in terms of measures and features.
As for all projects, it took more time than expected, but finally Minia is for sale and I’m excited to tell you about it!
As for all projects, it took more time than expected but finally Minia is on sale and I am excited to introduce it to you!
The idea
I work as a patternmaker and women’s clothing designer, and I know that interpreting a croquis can be difficult and complex. Simulating folds, positioning seams and evaluating proportions can sometimes force you to work on large, broad spaces and may require a lot of time. Another issue is getting an overview of the piece: if you’re too close, it’s difficult to get a good sense of the garment, whereas if you are too far away, you can’t adjust or retouch by hand.
How many times have you found yourself with a sheet of paper in hand, trying out a few small changes or testing various folds and curves? But then those tests were difficult to transfer to a life-size pattern because you didn’t have the right proportions?
So, I looked far and wide but all I could find were mannequins with rough measurements. Furthermore, I needed one that was suitable for trousers, not just dresses.
“I really need a scale dress form!”, I thought.
I wanted to have it on my desk, close to my computer in order to look at it and take measurements whenever I needed, place pattern paper on it and cut, fold and shape it whenever I want, keeping it in good company amid my keyboard, mouse, fabric samples, croquis, calculator and size chart. Moreover, I wanted to be able to write on it directly, to have it on-hand next to my sewing machine. I wanted to dress and undress it quickly, to change the geometrical creation I was working on quickly, and even throw everything away (if I didn’t like the outcome) and start again with a better idea.
I’ve been testing Minia for a few months now, and I’ve literally fallen in love with it. I really don’t know how I managed to work without it: Minia is more than an instrument; it’s a method!