Hello!

I’m Lea Perez.  I make custom clothing. Fabrics and sewing have always been part of my life and my DNA. My great-grandfather was a tailor. Both of my grandmothers sewed during and after the depression — cutting hand-me-down clothing and repurposing it as serviceable, interesting and well-fitting garments for their large families. My mother, an expert seamstress, and I frequented fabric stores to select fabrics, buttons. thread and designs. 

My first sewing experience was sitting on my mother’s lap at age 3 or 4, with her showing me how to put a needle and thread into a 6-inch square of cotton muslin. After I managed to sew a few stitches and attach two paillettes to the fabric, I proudly announced that I had made a handkerchief!  I was hooked.

My career in the U.S. Foreign Service took me around the world, exposing me to diverse cultures and textile traditions, whether rustic weaves or high-end silks.  I adopted a range of new fabrication techniques and, along the way, acquired a stunning collection of rare and unusual fabrics.

Now retired, I have the opportunity and drive to do something I’ve wanted to do my entire life --share my skills and passion to create and, hopefully, inspire others.