What
is the Retro/fit Pattern Company?
Retro/fit
introduces a new line of bridal and evening sewing patterns
inspired by styles of the past. Featuring four
elegant patterns named from the movie icons of the '20s,
'30s and '40s: Ava, Dolores, Emma and Myrna. Designer Carrie
Bishop is renowned for and unparalled in her experience and
expertise creating beautiful, vintage-style apparel.
About
Carrie Bishop, creator of Retro/fit patterns:
“It
all started with Barbie—my parents bought me a Barbie
doll but refused to buy any of the expensive clothes. So they
bought me a little handcrank sewing machine (thank goodness
they were actually selling Barbie patterns) and I started making
clothes for my doll. And genetics must’ve played a part,
as three of my aunts were seamstresses and my great-grandfather
from Slovakia was a tailor.
Fast
forward…as an environmental design major at California
College of Arts & Crafts, I developed an interest in thrift
shops and vintage clothing - where else do you shop when Mom
and Dad are no longer buying your clothes? Much to my parents’
chagrin, this led to a post-graduation stint of sewing one-of-a-kind
western shirts and selling them at craft fairs.
Ended
up in NYC in the '80s with a novelty glove business called Glove
Affaire. I was one of a handful of New York designers doing
high-end gloves for major department stores, and created a moderately
priced line for brides and proms that was sold nationally through
Edward Berger bridal millinery. My gloves were featured on the
cover of Bride and Seventeen magazines as
well as in numerous editorials.
I
have collected and worn vintage clothes for years and have finally
merged my love of vintage and sewing into an elegant new line
of patterns. My devotion to the films of the '20s, '30s and
'40s, and their beautiful icons, brought about my patterns'
names: Ava, Dolores and Myrna.
Most
pattern companies offer minimal choices for wedding dresses
and largely ignore vintage fashions. Women that want to wear
vintage for their wedding may find a dress they love, but will
it be in their size? Enter Retro/fit Patterns—patterns
with a past and a bright future in bringing classic styles to
modern times.”
Note:
This
is a website in progress - please come back and visit us again!