Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lisa Mensonides. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lisa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I have the privilege of dressing women in every shape and size. My mission is to make them feel beautiful in what they wear, because they are. We live in a world where we are told we have to be skinny and look like a stick to be pretty. You can put anything on a stick and it will look good. The key is knowing what looks good on different body types and playing up the features my clients love about themselves. I am a fashion designer and a wedding dress alterations specialist. I have the honor of making women feel gorgeous on the most special day of their lives.

Relating first hand on how my clients feel and the health issues they struggle with is nothing new to me. I was diagnosed with Lyme disease 5 years ago and Rheumatoid arthritis 10 years ago. Throughout these past 15 years I’ve ran my business longer with these health conditions than not. Having these health issues has caused me to lose weight that I struggle to gain back. I personally know about not feeling great in your own skin. We all can be our own worst critics and I strive to be my clients own personal cheerleader when it comes to how they look and feel in a garment.

Lisa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My mom made me start sewing at 10 years old to learn a helpful life skill. One summer I made skirts and that was it, I was hooked. I wanted to pursue fashion design and through my sewing professor in college she helped make that happen. There were other students on campus needing bridesmaid dresses altered and they were emailing my professor to see if she had a sewing student she would recommend. I started that side hustle and have continued in bridal ever since. I remember telling my mom in high school already that I would love to work with beautiful dresses someday and here we are.

Under my label, Mensonique, I make bespoke clothing, alter women’s special occasion wear, and create my own original designs. My original designs include new and upcycled clothing. The name originated from my last name and is melded with the word unique, because every BODY is beautiful and unique. My skill lies in the detailed work and thinking outside the box. Some of the dresses that come into my shop are quite elaborate and I have never turned a dress away. I care about my final product and take the time it needs to be perfect for my clients, even if it takes 48 hours to alter or 115 hours to make.

One custom dress I am most proud I had the honor of making for the Miss Teen Washington pageant. I with many helpers, in shifts, sewed on 1,000 butterflies to a detachable train. Each butterfly representing a M.A.L.S. patient that my client personally knew as she too struggled with the same disease. M.A.L.S. stands for Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome which is a condition that occurs when a chest ligament, presses on the celiac artery, the main blood vessel supplying the stomach, liver, and other organs. It causes poor blood flow or nerve irritation and can be quite painful. My client could only digest protein shakes as a result for years before she received the surgery she needed to heal it. She won Miss Congeniality in the pageant and ,yes, her dress took 115 hours to make from scratch.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Tenacity and resilience is something I live by and is one of the keys to success in this kind of business. Sewing and design are things that can be very time consuming and they always seem to take longer than you think. Mix that with a lot of pressure to attain perfection for brides and it could easily break you. There are literally times that blood, sweat and tears are produced behind the scenes. One example of this was altering a wedding dress for a bride who was 7 months pregnant. The dress fit when she first came for her fitting, but as the time drew nearer for her wedding it did not zip closed anymore. After 48 hours of altering this dress it fit like a glove, but was no easy task as I had to shape her dress around her soon to be baby and her dress was covered in lace and beadwork that had to be reworked.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

My reputation has been built on making my client number one and making every garment fit like a glove. I put myself in their shoes and think about what I would want for myself. I keep trying till I get it right. If you aim for perfection you often exceed your clients expectations. For many of the years I have ran my business I was only word of mouth and had only one bridal shop referring their brides to me. I am now currently on 5 bridal shops preferred seamstress list and I receive a lot of traffic from my internet presence and reviews. Tailoring and sewing have been a bit of a dying craft between “Home Ec” being cut in schools and retirement of older tailors and seamstresses. There already is a high demand for good tailors and that need will continue to grow. This trade takes years to become good at and I know I will never stop learning. Last year I was quite flattered when I asked one of my brides how she heard about me. She said, “My Grandma, I asked her where I should go and she said you.” I love what I do and my favorite part of this job is to see the excitement my client has when they try on their garment for the first time after it’s been altered.

Another favorite part of building my reputation has been getting involved in local fashion shows as a designer. I was one of six designers in Couture & Cars, July 2024, at the LeMay-America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, WA. Joining in on these shows provides me a creative outlet that feeds my soul. I can get as wild as I want, if I want to. Networking with other fashion industry people is something I love. You got to keep putting yourself out there. Collaborate with other individuals in your industry and do your work for free until you build momentum. A collaboration between a model, hair and make-up, photographer and a designer is a beautiful thing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mensonique.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mensonique/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mensonique
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-mensonides-334a09a4/
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits

Amber French
Jeff Buege
Eleicia Greene
Phillip Vitale