Sewing, pattern making and design was first taught to me by my amazing mother and then eventually throughout my college years at Parsons School of Design and UCLA in Los Angeles and then Oregon College of Arts and Crafts here in Portland, Oregon.
Over the years I've done free lance design work in various fields including a long stint at Trek Bicycles designing their entire line of cycling clothing.
After 17 years working in the bicycle industry in various capacities I quit on my 40th birthday and gave myself the best birthday present ever...
I opened my own business, Embellish Design and have now been at it full time for 11 years. Most of those years have been focused on creating individually hand-made, one-of-a-kind wedding dresses from my studio.
Throughout the last eleven years I have also taught at several venues, including many years at Oregon College of Arts and Crafts teaching design, construction, draping, and pattern making, among other things. Many of Portland's amazing fashion designer's have taken a class or two from me over the years.
In 2007 I started a second business, Olivia Luca, which allows women all over the US and abroad to design their own dresses through a fun and amazing web tool that I designed. We cut, sew and ship these semi-custom dresses to many places. You can read more about it by clicking on the Olivia Luca tab above.
Living an environmentally conscious lifestyle is very important to me and that spills over into my businesses and is a focus point in all that I do.
I have two amazing big dogs and a sweet kitty whom you may meet if you come to the studio for a consultation or fittings, they along with my beau of many years are the joy and loves of my life.
