User:Malissa Long

Contact Info

Email: malissa@makeict.org

I grew up near Beaumont, TX with a Mom and Grandmother who both sewed and, while I was in high school, they worked for a local fashion designer. That and several other life events, made me realize designing beautiful clothing was my calling. I took pattern making as an elective while in college at Sam Houston University majoring in Fashion Merchandising. Those skills can into play in 2003, when a client at Jo-Ann's Fabrics asked me to make the sample garments for her children's clothing collection and I've been chasing the dream in some form or fashion ever sense. I'm a very versatile designer mostly designing new classics in boutique, cocktail, and evening wear, a MLW MLWear.com piece will still be in style several years after it's created. I love to challenge myself and anything that gives my mind a workout inspires me to create. Some designers that inspire me are Erdem, Oscar de la Renta, Betsy Johnson, and Vivian Westwood. I use fiber art as a medium to practice my techniques and am a founding member of the Austin Fiber Artist. I’ve been known to make dresses out of ties, jackets out of bottle caps, and recycle aluminum cans into embellishments for my pieces. All of my fabrics are recycled or sustainable; I’m an eco-conscious designer. I love creating my work as well as helping other local designers by patterning, sampling, and even producing their collections.