In her spare time, Kylie Mesias makes dresses for herself and her friends. Starting when she was 5 years old, she channeled her passion through sewing. She tries her best to preserve old clothing and bedsheets and capture the elegance of the 1950s through her designs. She works to preserve old fashion designs and bring it back into the current world.

Q: What inspired you to take on dressmaking?

A: I was bored one day and I had a sewing machine, so I was like “Oh! I should probably do this [dressmaking]. It’s a good way to kill time.”

Q: How did you learn to sew and design dresses?

A: I initially learned how to sew from my father, but after that, I’m pretty much self-taught and just figured it out with trial and error.

Q: What are some resources that you found most helpful to learn about this subject?

A: I just scroll through TikTok a lot and Instagram reels. I see ideas where I’m like “Oh, I like that,” or I’m on Pinterest and I’ll pin a bunch of things and take ideas from that.

Q: What is the biggest challenge you face when creating clothing?

A: I don’t use patterns and I’m really stubborn. I kind of rush into things, I’ll get really into an idea and rush through it. I’ll have big mess-ups, but I learn from them, so I think being impatient is the biggest thing.

Q: How do you incorporate dressmaking into your life with school?

A: I usually work on weekends or afternoons so I’m not on my phone.

Q: Where does your inspiration for each dress come from?

A: A lot of Pinterest. I also have a sketchbook of ideas that I jot down, so that too.

Q: Where do you go to get the resources you need to make each dress?

A: I thrift a lot of the fabrics, or I upcycle them from old bedsheets I have laying around, or bedsheets I thrift.

Q: What styles of dresses are you most interested in making?

A: I like 1950s Dior, the New Look Era. That’s what I’ve been into lately, but I like a lot of short poofy dresses and off the shoulder.

Q: What is your favorite dress out of your current collection? Why?

A: My favorite dress is one that I gave to my friend, Vita [Sakharova]. It’s blue and tie-dye with green lace accents. It has a halter top, and it is my favorite because it’s one of my first designs that I made all on my own without looking into it. I sketched it all out, I draped it all and then I sewed it all. It has a lot of imperfections but it’s my favorite style-wise.

Q: What is a recent or future project that you look forward to?

A: I’m looking forward to making my Homecoming dress for this year. I wanna make a 1950s Hollywood-inspired dress, like Audrey Hepburn or Marilyn Monroe.

Q: What motivates you to keep at dressmaking?

A: It’s something I’m good at and I really enjoy the end products. I can see myself doing it in the future.

Q: What are some things you try to keep in mind when dressmaking?

A: Be patient and check to make sure I’m putting the right seams together, that I’m doing the right side with the right side. A lot of little mistakes really add up. It just takes down the overall quality of the dress in the end.

Q: Could you walk us through the creative process for making dresses?

A: So, I’m in school and I’m thinking “Oh, I don’t wanna be here anymore. I’m going to go home and make a dress.” [When] I get home, start draping on my mannequin and say “Oh, I like this shape.” Then I sew it all up, and I keep going for hours. That’s just how it works, and boom, by the end of the night I have a dress.

Q: What are some other hobbies you have alongside dressmaking?

A: I do nail art, I bake, I cook, I did guitar for a bit and I do art.

Q: Where do you see yourself in the future with making and designing dresses?

A: I see myself either doing it as a hobby or doing it throughout college and hopefully gaining a career in that field.

Q: What advice would you give to those who want to start dressmaking as a hobby but don’t know where to start?

A: I say watch a lot of tutorials [about] how to use a sewing machine, how to do whatnot. You’re gonna fail with the first couple dresses, so just keep going and learn from your mistakes.

by ISABELLA GIMROTH & DEEPIKA VIJAYAN