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When they finally appeared, many people thought they were unnecessary, impractical and even scandalous
Everyone has a favourite childhood film that stayed with them at a tender age, inspiring wobbly drawings that made it onto the family fridge. For Bella, that inspiration led to something considerably more impressive than your standard colouring page. “At age 13 I had a dream to make a replica Narnia costume,” she says: “The reason? I wanted to start a business!”
Aside from lions and witches, there was another inspiration in her life that led to the conception of what would become Bella Mae Designs. “Growing up, we had a family friend who sold historical costumes. She was my inspiration to believe that creating a business around sewing was possible,” she says.
And while other young people might have seen such an elaborate costume as an opportunity to clean up at trick or treating that year, Bella’s focus lay elsewhere. “My family didn’t celebrate Halloween, so in my mind, the only reason to make a costume was for practical purposes – like starting a business.”
Right from the beginning, she has always valued independence and self-teaching.
“I made the costume with very little help, did a photoshoot with my photographer – who happened to be my sister – and listed the outfit on Etsy,” she remembers. She also notes that the expense of her unique hobby contributed to her keenness to start commercialising. “Spending $50 on material meant that it needed to be an investment,” she adds.
Bella Mae Designs now creates and provides patterns for stunning and intricate costumes and historical clothing, inspired by everything from masquerade balls and 18th century dresses to Prince Charming’s jacket and a chemise straight out of the 1870s.
But her talent goes beyond nostalgia for the characters of her childhood, and into an elaborate and precise art form that invokes a certain sense of magic for her fans.
A perfect replica
To create such complex designs, a keen eye for detail is something that’s absolutely essential. “I’m a perfectionist when it comes to sewing. I love – and am greatly inspired
by – details in design,” says Bella.
Creating designs inspired by costumes on screen often means trying to replicate quite complex designs intended to stun viewers – a challenge that Bella embraces. “Popular movies often have striking costumes with intricate details. So these present the perfect opportunity to test my limits,” she says.
I’m a perfectionist when it comes to sewing. I love – and am greatly inspired by – details in design
“Learning new skills to replicate design intricacies perfectly is one of my greatest joys!” she adds – and others also appreciate her attention to the little things.
“Choosing a popular movie costume helps reach a broader audience,” she says, which is particularly important and valuable given that she relies on content creation online to drive interest and traffic. “In sharing the sewing process with my audience, I hope to introduce and inspire through the art of sewing.”
For the most part, Bella wouldn’t say that nostalgia drives her design choices – but there are two notable exceptions, and each one has shaped her journey so far in very different but also significant ways.
The Narnia costumes at the beginning of her sewing career kickstarted her business, and the versions she has made in the years since have remained a nod to her childhood; “for several Narnia costumes I recently created, this was a journey rooted in memories. With my very first costume based on these films, I have always viewed the costumes as the hinges that turned my dream of a career in sewing into reality.”
of autumn
While these costumes mark the beginning of her career, another dress that she created two years later gave her an unexpected surge in interest and appreciation. “At age 15
I made my first Cinderella replica,” she says. “This costume helped boost my Etsy shop
in ways I could never imagine. After making four more for customers, I eventually made
a sixth one for myself.”
Revisiting these designs is not only a trip down memory lane for the childhood films she loved, but also of this important moment in her career: “getting to relive my 15 year old dreams of a ‘perfect’ replica was a cherry on top of an incredible sewing journey.”
While important to her journey, these designs weren’t without their difficulties: “My top challenges have been the structure for the Cinderella ball gown. With all its layers, creating a base that wouldn’t collapse was very daunting. For the Narnia dress to get as close to the original design as possible, I needed handwoven fabric. I dealt with issues of thread colour, shrinkage, and a steep learning curve to turn 15 miles of thread into fabric. That set of obstacles caused more than a few tears.”
When designing looks for specific characters, I want to understand and appreciate who that person is
Despite dealing with these obstacles along the way, these two designs hold a special place in Bella’s heart. “It’s hard to pick a favourite, but I would say the Cinderella ball gown has very special memories and milestones attached that makes it to the top of my list. The second would be my Narnia replica with its 6 yards of handwoven fabric. It’s a symbol of how far I’ve come in learning new skills and perseverance,” she adds.
Nostalgia and nature
Creating all of these costumes goes much beyond simply seeing them on screen and trying to get a copy down on paper. “When I’m designing looks for specific characters, I want to understand and appreciate who that person is,” says Bella.
“Finding the personality helps form the costume into something believable – I love capturing small details that draw their uniqueness into the final piece.” Having this process makes her feel deeply connected to the characters she tries to evoke, but that can also have its limits: “With how much understanding a character influences my designs, I would say I’d have a very hard time designing something for a villain!”
And it’s not just the quirks of a character that influence her work. “With a deep love
of nature, I find myself drawn to any design or look that captures nature’s rhythms and intricate flow,” she says. “The soft movement of fabric draped in the precise way will steal my heart over harsh edges any day.”
inspired from a classic 1960s Barbie dress
While she has honed this instinct for translating muses into designs, it has been
a work in progress. “My understanding of design has grown immensely. Putting a finger on what inspires me and how it turns into reality has been a 10 year process and honestly, I’m still learning!”
Inspiring others
Alongside her website, Bella also runs a YouTube channel with over 184k subscribers where she shares behind-the-scenes content, tutorials and sewing advice. Not only do these videos reach new fans and potential customers, but it also helps her feel more connected to her supporters.
“Creating and releasing sewing patterns is a way I can tangibly share the work of creating a specific costume with my audience,” she says. “My channel will always be the source of sharing the sewing process. This is where I get to bring others along on my sewing journey, no matter if they plan to make the specific costume or not. It’s the place where
I share my ups, downs, and the intricacies.”
Each of my costumes in my closet has a little piece of who I am and has memories woven in
And while she’s keen to share her advice with others, she emphasises that she is still learning every day – and says overcoming the fear of trying has been crucial to her process. “With every project, if I didn’t just go for it and learn along the way, I would still be waiting for the “right time,” she says, encouraging others who might be hesitant to “just give it a go.”
She also stresses that even the best-prepared people will face obstacles. “No matter how much I try to learn something before jumping in, I always face the unexpected, and no amount of planning would have eliminated it,” she says.
That unpredictability means she learned to adjust her own process, and also started to embrace the reality: “I’ve come to the place where I do little pre-planning and I always expect growth and challenges along the way.”
inspired by the Hobbit series
In spite of the challenges, the payoff of these gorgeous designs feel worth it, explains
Bella – and the whole process has become a deeply personal one.
“Each piece has a different story and aspect that makes it my favourite. From a historical gown being completely hand sewn, to hand woven fabric, to a specific design detail that added that perfect touch. Each and every one of my costumes in my closet has a little piece of who I am and has memories woven in.”
See Bella-Mae’s designs for yourself at bella-maes.com
