HOW RIPPS & SEWS CAME 2 BE
May 21, 2022—my birthday and my older sister’s graduation. A big day, and of course, I completely forgot to order a dress. However, I knew exactly what I wanted: a pink satin, strapless mini dress. But after searching everywhere online, I could not seem to find exactly what I was looking for. Nothing matched the dress I had designed in my head.
Determined to make my vision come to life, I decided to take matters into my own hands and try making the dress myself. My mom had an old sewing machine lying around, and after watching a few YouTube tutorials, I thought, "Why not give it a shot?" I went to the fabric store, bought 3 yards of pink satin, and spent the next two days figuring it out without a pattern. Surprisingly, it turned out pretty well.
My mom had an old sewing machine lying around, and after watching a few YouTube tutorials, I thought, "Why not give it a shot?"
So, I became hooked. As I recreated basic designs and got more comfortable with the sewing machine, I started with simple projects—like shortening oversized thrifted shirts. Eventually, I began collecting fabric squares to create my own designs from scratch. Once I consistently made pieces and scrolled Pinterest for inspiration daily, I thought, “Why not share this on Instagram?” And that’s when Ripps & Sews came to life—a fun play on my name and my love for thrifting (ripping) and sewing.
As someone passionate about fashion, sustainability, and staying busy, the project quickly took off and kept growing. It wasn’t long before peers on campus started following my account, DMing me, and even texting for alteration and thrift flip requests. As a Marketing student, I quickly realized I had the foundation of a brand.
Now, I’m expanding Ripps & Sews by offering custom alterations and hosting pop-up shops to showcase my designs and connect with the community. It’s been incredible to see how far I’ve come, and I’m excited to keep exploring this passion.
