Today we’d like to introduce you to Denise Thornton
Hi Denise, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. I began sewing at age 12 and fell in love with my craft at age 14. While in high school, I made my own prom dress and made prom dresses for several of my classmates. I went on to make prom dresses for girls all over Baltimore for generations. After taking a hiatus from sewing due to health issues, I formally launched Denise Designed It in 2017. Since then, Denise Designed It has created several custom gowns for several different occasions for clients across the country! My favorite part about sewing is the opportunity to see designs materialize into actual garments and the ability to make my clients feel incredibly beautiful on their special days!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road at all. After sewing for decades, I faced health challenges that led to me having to take a step away from my passion of designing. In 2004, I was diagnosed with Schwannoma which led to me having a surgery to remove a tumor on my spinal cord. Then three and seven years later (in 2007 and 2014), the steroids given to me for my Schwannoma diagnosis led to me being diagnosed with Advanced Necrosis which resulted in two hip replacements.
It wasn’t until my youngest daughter reached the 11th grade and requested that I make her prom dress—and suggested that I make some of her friends’—that I came up with the idea of Denise Designed It and decided to get back into designing. However, there was one problem: I didn’t know how to use social media and social media was now the ultimate sales tool. People were promoting their designs on Instagram, finding clients on Instagram, paying for features on official prom pages on Instagram, and more. So, we decided that my daughter would run the social media for Denise Designed It and I would handle the creative aspect. But not only was social media a major difference, there was also a difference in how big prom had become—especially in the African American community—and a difference in the types of designs people were interested in. This was a unique challenge because although I had photos of designs spanning decades, I didn’t have any recent designs that were in line with the new trends that I could promote. There was also a difference in pricing from when I had last sewed in 2004. All of these changes took some getting adjusted to and they also required me to reinvent myself as a designer in the Baltimore community, despite having decades of experience.
And then, after getting fully back into the swing of things, just three years after starting Denise Designed It, the COVID-19 Pandemic hit in March of 2020. With prom season scheduled to kickoff in April and go on until June, all of my designs for the season were nearly complete. But the chance of prom actually happening seemed slim to none. Not only did the prom season not happen in 2020, it didn’t really happen in 2021 or 2022 either. With prom gowns making up the majority of my designs year after year, this was devastating not only financially, but it also was devastating that I wouldn’t have the opportunity to build the relationships and create the experiences that I do every prom season.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Denise Designed It offers custom gowns for prom, maternity shoots, weddings, galas, and other formal events. I specialize in very detailed evening wear. These details can range from sequin, embellishments, and glitter, to dramatic trains and other hand-sewn details. All of these details add a distinct feel to my designs which makes them not only eye-catching, but also makes them identifiable as Denise Designed It gowns.
I am known for not simply creating designs, but for creating experiences. In the “Testimonials” given by my clients, I am reminded time and time again that beyond making a custom gown for my clients, I also boosted their self-confidence along the way and contributed to them having the night of their dreams. My love for building relationships with my clients that extends beyond one single design is twofold: I truly value being able to impact the lives of my clients and relationships in this business are also the most important sales tool. I have had the opportunity to make prom gowns for mother and daughter or older sister and younger sister; I have even had the opportunity to make a wedding gown for a client that I made a prom gown for years prior. I believe these opportunities came to me not just because of my skill and passion for fashion, but because of these relationships I have developed and the experiences I have created through my designs.
As someone with decades of experience in the fashion industry which is constantly changing, I am most proud of my ability to adjust to new trends year after year. My ability to evolve has given me the opportunity to service prom clients in the ’90s and in 2024 alike—creating the dress of their dreams that is both eye-catching and trendy given the current state of fashion at the time of design.
I believe that what sets me apart is the fact that I am a visionary. Most clients tend to come to me with a hodgepodge of ideas where they’ve pulled different features from different images—and even sometimes, from their imagination—and I am able to envision the exact design that they are describing and I am able to then bring that design to life. This also requires the skill of being able to explain different fabrics, designs, and methods in layman’s terms to an unfamiliar audience.
Ultimately, the beauty of my work is the love and passion I put into every custom design!
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I attended Dunbar High School and Rock Glen Middle School in West Baltimore City. Growing up, I was always creative and created art in may different ways. I was a visual arts student. I was also a jazz dancer. And of course, I was always into fashion. I first taught myself how to make doll clothes at the age of 12 and doll clothes soon transitioned into designing actual clothes for both me and my friends. I was always inspired by Yves Saint Laurent designs. However, growing up poor in Baltimore City meant that buying actual high-end designs was not a possibility for me, so I would make a copy of the high-end clothes I saw in magazines. I even won first place in the Ms Goodwill contest for the state of Maryland. This was a contest where you had to find an outfit in GoodWill and then rework into a different outfit. I took a men’s suit from Goodwill and made it into a pencil skirt suit with pleats and fur!
Beyond designing, I’ve always had a general passion for fashion. I was known for dressing really nice. I started wearing high heels in the 11th grade and I wore them every day until I graduated—including on the Metro bus I rode to school! I modeled in fashion shows across Baltimore City throughout my 20s. I then went on to host fashion shows with designs I created across Baltimore throughout my 20s, 30s, and 40s.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.denisedesignedit.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denise.designed.it/?hl=en
