We were lucky to catch up with Rebecca Russell recently and have shared our conversation below.

Rebecca, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I absolutely love being a business owner! It is truly a dream come true to be able to work every day in an industry I love; designing, creating, sewing and reproducing historical and vintage clothing. I get to live out my childhood dream of being a clothing designer and costumer and make money doing it. I mean what better occupation could there be?

Of course, running a business doesn’t come without challenges. I certainly don’t make as much money right now as I did when I was a government contractor with a security clearance. And not being the sole person responsible for the failure or success of your endeavor is a tempting thought. Having a “regular job” seems like an easy way to be able to walk away from it at the end of the day and not have to eat, breathe and sleep your own business.

A few months ago a contracting company reached out and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse, working back on base. I took it, thinking I could somehow manage to do both, but immediately realized I couldn’t. I decided to give them two days a week so that I could still focus primarily on my business. But, honestly, even two days a week away from my passion and business just makes me sad. There’s nothing like stepping away from your business to realize how much you truly love it!

Rebecca, 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?

Let’s just say that historical costuming has been a hobby and an obsession of mine since . . . well as long as I can remember. (REALLY!) From the age of seven, I could sit for hours engrossed in movies like “Les Miserables” (with Anthony Perkins), “The King and I” (with Yul Brenner), and of course “Gone With the Wind.” Even then, I was studying the clothing so I could run to my box of play clothes and attempt to recreate that perfect historical look.

Okay, so my research methods and sewing ability may not have been quite “up-to-par” at that point in time. but my motivation, creativity and enthusiasm were definitely running wild. Day after day, I snuck up to my Mother’s bedroom to teach myself to use the sewing machine. Eventually it paid off.

In 1986 (at the age of 12) I attended my first Civil War Reenactment – the 125th Anniversary of the Battle of Bull Run. Just days after the event, I designed and crafted my first Civil War period day dress. (Picture to the left). Of course, this was still far from authentic or perfectly period (styled from the TV miniseries, “North and South,” and made up of synthetic satin) but it was a start. I received enough gentle optimism and advice from fellow re-enactors that I was able to begin my research in earnest: visiting libraries, museums, examining period pieces and images for details.

From that time on, I immersed myself in researching historical costume; learning something new almost every day. And that’s the point when it comes to historical garments and sewing: the learning never ends!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

BeespokeVintage is like the 2.0 version of my original historical costuming business, Rebecca’s Reproductions, that I first started over 30 years ago. Back then, the internet was brand new, most companies didn’t have websites, vintage clothing wasn’t really a thing (my business focussed on Revolutionary War and Civil War Era clothing) and there weren’t a lot of commercially available historical or vintage clothing patterns. The business and client landscape was VERY different. I drafted most of my own patterns from historical drafting books, vintage images of garments and a general knowledge of dressmaking techniques and historical specifications. Customers were primarily historical reenactors, and marketing was word-of-mouth. I loved technology and taught myself how to build a website which really helped expand my business reach.

9-11, a national recession and a divorce (single-handedly single-parenting three kids under 5) forced me to put my business to the side and seek a more “secure” form of employment. So for the next decade and a half, I sewed for fun and worked as a teacher, and then as a government contractor. It was really great experience, but never truly fulfilling.

In 2021, I was fortunate to be able to step away from my government job and reignite my historical costuming business. Of course, now it was a brand new world complete with Facebook and Instagram and . . .TIKTOK, Oh my! I had to learn how to blend all this new social media with business marketing (let’s be honest I never even had Instagram before restarting my business and never have embraced TikTok). Websites were now much more robust (I still love building them) and there are blogs, and vlogs and podcasts and Patreon and just so, so, so much more out there than when I had Rebecca’s Reproductions.

I had to shift, BIG TIME! It was exciting and terrifying and I really had to just jump in with both feet and embrace the unknown. Never one to like to put my real self out in front of other, learning to “be real” on social media was a big comfort zone leap. But I took a month and forced myself to do it every day.

To my complete surprise, my biggest clients were now are asking for 1930s garments. I had prepared myself for Victorian and Georgian costuming, but found myself, instead, buying up every vintage 1930s and 1940s pattern I could get my hands on. This was completely unexpected but a really fun new direction for my business and I’ve really enjoyed every minute of it.

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?

One of the biggest projects I’ve undertaken (in scope, marketing and production) is putting on a HUGE historical ball. On September 9th of this year, I will be hosting an elaborate, interactive late-Regency Ball in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette’s Birthday. Lafayette, the 19-year old French Hero of our American Revolution, is the namesake of multitudes of towns throughout the United States. In 1824 he returned the United States on a 15-month, 24-state tour commemorating his heroics during the war. My local town, Fayetteville, NC was the first city named after Lafayette and as such will be a featured city during the Bicentennial celebrations starting next year. To get a head-start on the festivities, and in support of the annual birthday events put on by the city, I am throwing a Grand Birthday Ball and Soiree for Lafayette set in the period of his return to the US. The ball will feature live musicians, called Regency dances, a games room complete with whist, dominoes, and ninepins, a fortune teller, silhouette painter, carriage rides, historical exhibits, a ginormous birthday cake, toasts, and of course a professional photographer to capture all the events of the evening. I’ve already started marketing through all my social media platforms, Jane Austen groups, Lafayette Societies, and you can even start buying souvenirs through my Etsy Shop.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at www.thelafayetteball.com or just by going to my website.

I can’t wait to see how this event turns out and am hopeful for a very successful story that I can share with readers afterwards as well! Stay tuned! #ipartiedwithlafayette #thelafayetteball

Contact Info:

• Website: www.beespokevintage.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beespokevintage/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beespokevintage
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rar-education/
• Other: www.patreon.com/the10dressesproject www.the10dressesproject.com