Meet Michelle Rene, Fashion Designer

Michelle Rene is a designer and label based out of a small Pennsylvania town but with a huge fashion forward presence in the industry! She was invited to present in September 2015 for New York Fashion Week and was welcomed by media with open arms. In February of 2016, she brought New York Fashion Week to Garden City.

1. How did you get the idea of bringing Fashion Week to Garden City?

I wanted to branch out, as advised by my amazing PR rep Bridget O'Brien, into different parts of New York during Fashion Week. The hotels venue and location were perfect for a new customer base and exposure for my line.

2. Would you tell us a bit more about the event and how it went?

The event was called A Prelude to the Oscars, so I wanted to do an ode to Old Hollywood with vintage inspired designs by the starletts we so love. I design gowns on a regular basis, but this evening allowed me to play a bit more with different styles and fit.

3. What was your experience like earlier this year at Fashion Week in New York?

My last show was in the city at a location called Stitch. My designs were all in pink fabric to bring awareness to the battle of Breast Cancer, called "In the Pink with Michelle Rene." #pinkisthenewblack

4. What are some of your inspirations when it comes to creating wedding dresses?

I love the challenge of taking a flat piece of fabric and combined with my client's dreams and my ability we breathe it into life. I also look to the world around me to inspire the mood or look of a design and or idea. Many times I start out with a fixed idea of what I am going to do, and then the fabric starts to talk to me and we go a totally different direction. It's always an adventure when I pull out my scissors and start to cut. Most times I myself do not know where it will end.

5. Would you tell us a little more about the custom work you do, not only for weddings but also with casual wear and other designs?

I tell people that I don't make sizes; I design clothes that you want to wear, that flatter your style, your body and image. Something that concerns me is when clothes wear a person and not the other way around. If someone is saying to you that you look great in that dress and not you look amazing today, well then I think there maybe something wrong with what you are wearing. You need to shine through, your style, your fit, you! That is what drives me, finding that moment when we discover the design that allows YOU to look and feel the best you can be.

Thanks, Michelle!