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

Cristy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Thank you for having me! Well, how I came up with this concept is largely credited to my setbacks and creativity with those setbacks. I have severe dyslexia and this proved to be an interesting challenge when handed my grandmother’s sewing machine. With a tiny office or “cloffice” as my family calls it, and a bundle of Goodwill sheets, I was able to hand-sew my first dress! Pair that with my experience as a woman, and noticing that not only myself but all women have a dire need for versatility in fashion. There are truly not a ton of great pieces to fit a body throughout all the chapters of life a body experiences. Pre Babies, pregnancy, and post pregnancy, to name a few! I knew there had to be a sustainable and creative way to solve this for all types of women.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

In 2017, I inherited my grandmother’s vintage sewing machine and became obsessed! Up until that time, I had only sewn curtains before. Determined to learn how to sew, but unable to read a dress pattern due to my dyslexia, I created my unorthodox “cut first, measure later” approach. After ruining countless yards of fabric I started snatching up thrift store sheets sewing out of a tiny “cloffice” (closet/office).

After well over a year, I finally created a prototype for my now patented Capsule Dress that can be worn in over 60 ways, even as a skirt and shirt. I knew I was on to something when I wore it to a party and after showing a friend how it could “morph” into so many different styles she literally bought the first dress right off my back, and Morph Clothing was born.

In 2019, while in Brooklyn for the MTV VMA’s, I was caught “Morphing” on the street. This video went viral garnering over 32 Million views and 300K shares from the Morph Clothing FB page. Celebrities such as Meryl Streep were spotted reposting my video. Suddenly, I had to learn how to sell worldwide overnight! Not an easy thing to do when every Morph Clothing piece is sourced and made by hand in the US.

My line has been seen on the red carpet, and on celebrities like TV producer Mona Scott-Young, Emmy Nominated Yvette Nicole Brown, H.E.R., Queen Naija, Lisa Raye and MC Lyte. Morph has also caught the attention of media outlets such as BET, MTV, Skirt Magazine, Charleston Magazine, and Lowcountry Live.

Most recently, our flagship design, the Capsule Dress, has been granted a US Utility Patent, something that only fashion brand Nike has been able to do until now! It’s truly a groundbreaking piece that I’m so proud of, but just one of my many multi-functional pieces.

My greatest achievement is to hold a US Utility Patent. The only other fashion brand to do this is Nike. It was a long four year process but will now enable us to partner with huge brands. To get our pieces on more women and to create a whole new way of looking at fashion. When one piece can serve as twenty in your wardrobe, we are staying true to our sustainability mission. It’s good for the Earth and great for the modern woman. Our innovative designs are making women’s lives easier when they can wear one piece from the beach to a black a black tie affair, you’re never over-dressed or underdressed. Helping busy women to save time, and to look and feel beautiful and to help them love their bodies…I mean…does it get any better?

At the end of the day I am NOT a fashionista. I don’t have a fashion background, but I am an artist. A darn good one. Because of my creativity and grit I have been able to build a sustainable brand that is unlike any other. Women from every corner of the globe, of every shape and size, have told me how my pieces have made them feel more empowered and confident in their own skin. And that’s the dream! To empower others. It’s never about the clothes, it’s about how we feel when we wear them. I want women to make fashion work for them, not the other way around.

I’ve started a Morph Mindset series around living authentically and helping women to believe in themselves. Heck, if I can do it, anyone can.

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

Well, if someone had told me that one day I would be a fashion designer and the only woman in America with a Utility Patent for my own design, I would have thought they were off their rocker! I’m not a trained designer, and had to teach myself everything I know.

I remember my son asking me what I was doing with all of this fabric. I told him that I was starting a fashion line…his response: “But Mom, you don’t even know how to sew.” “No…but I can learn.” My skills were limited but my vision, grand. Looking back, I actually credit my dyslexia for enabling me to create these multi-functional pieces that the world has never seen before.

This journey has been filled with lots of highs and lows. Like many creatives, I found the “business” aspect even more challenging. I made mistakes and learned the hard way how to maintain control over the operations and direction of my company. I’ve never had any capital investment and literally put everything I earned back into the business. But this made me keen and I’m thankful to have learned these things early on.

After a painful divorce, and a new title of “single mother” I had doubts that my labor of love would pan out. But I was even more determined to make it work. I wanted my children to see that grit and ingenuity are the foundation of success as an entrepreneur.

But there’s no accounting for timing. In 2019 just as Morph was blowing up and going viral on the internet, the Pandemic was just around the corner. Like many small businesses, I faced supply shortage struggles. It became near impossible to fulfill orders when fabric wasn’t available, and I was left to homeschool my kids and care for my now fiance’s disabled son.

Then everything caught fire…..LITERALLY. On the same day I was launching a long awaited new design, we came home to find our house engulfed in flames. My Fiance (turned business partner, Clay Weldon) and I were returning from volunteering at a non-profit program for our 19 year-old special needs son. Inside were our four pets, decades of family memories, and the entire Morph inventory and studio. We lost EVERYTHING, but thankfully after massive lifesaving measures, our dogs were spared.

It was surreal. Instantly we were homeless, my business was gone and we were relying on the generosity of friends and family and hundreds of Morph clients I had never even met, by way of a Go Fund me campaign. It felt strange and humbling to be on the receiving end of charity, but I have never felt more loved and supported.

Beyond that, I have a ton of faith and together with Clay, we have begun putting our lives and company back together. It’s been a slow process but we certainly don’t take anything for granted. Morph inventory has painstakingly been re-made and we are picking up speed and ready to take this company to a whole new level.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

While I was in Brooklyn for the MTV awards I was “caught” in the streets Morphing. My great friend decided to post this video on our Facebook which in turn made us literally go viral overnight! We had over 32 Million views and 300K shares from the Morph Clothing FB page, even Merryl Streep reposted the video. Soon buyers were flooding our inboxes, However the challenge is that we were now having to learn overnight how to sell world wide, translating orders in 20 different languages, adjusting to shipping/customs regulations with each country, and facing fabric shortages. Not an easy thing to do when every Morph Clothing piece is sourced and made by hand in the US. So to say that Morph found overnight success is truly a myth. It took 5 years of actual blood, sweat, tears, and laughs through those tears. However, this very video is truly what helped launch us to the next level.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.morphclothing.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morph_clothing/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morphclothing

Image Credits
yes! All rights