Welcome 2024! How can it be a new year already? Each turn of the calendar brings with it an exciting and fresh new chapter in our historical clothing sketchbook. What will we make this year? What projects will come our way? It is always inspiring to start a new year off with a clean cutting table!
As always, THANK YOU to everyone who has already booked custom commissions! We are consistently booking 3 months in advance now so please keep that in mind moving forward with your custom projects this year.
Ahh, 2023. It seems like just yesterday…. Let’s review.
This past year was a WILD and CRAZY [good] one here in the studio. Maggie May Clothing (MMC) was fortunate to be asked to partner with several stage and film productions. We began the year off with a large scale Netflix production in New Mexico. Unfortunately, Industry strikes put a halt to filming but the project is now complete and in post production. MMC looks forward to seeing American Primeval streaming soon!
Next, we created several garments for Houston’s Theater Under the Stars‘ Sweeney Todd. This was a first for MMC and it was exciting to work on such an iconic musical!
MMC made several undergarments and Romantic Era accessories for the Historic Arkansas Museum.
In the summer, MMC supplied a WHOLE WARDROBE for a privately funded film entitled Six Days in August. Filming locations were Canada, New York State, and Utah. This production covered three early-mid 19th century time periods.
MMC made garments for The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Watkins Woolen Mill State Park, and Cordell Hull Birthplace State Historic Park.
As the owner of MMC, I gave a keynote address at Historic Rugby and taught a youth sewing workshop at Historic Exchange Place in Kingsport, TN.
MMC made two American South dresses for NYC’s Perelman Performing Arts Center‘s production Watch Night.
In the Fall, MMC was honored to partner with Manitoba Opera’s costume department to create several mid 19th century women’s and children’s garments for the ground breaking indigenous led opera Li Keur- Reil’s Heart of the North. This was quite a history making production and my favorite project of the year.
Of course, our year in review would not be complete without mention of all those fantastic projects YOU commissioned! YOU- our loyal clients- are the real reason why we do what we do! THANK YOU for another fantastic year of fine historical fashion!
SOMETHING NEW!
Maggie May Clothing reaches a milestone in 2024. This year, MMC turns 30 years old! I started Maggie May Clothing WAY BACK in 1994 when I was just a wee lass who loved sewing historical costumes. I sold my garments, hats, and accessories at local festivals. Selling historical costumes during college helped me pay for study abroad in England and France. I was so fortunate to have the opportunity to study historical clothing at some of the world’s leading costume museums and those experiences have highly influenced my designs.
Maggie May Clothing sure has come A LONG way since then! I try to imagine just how many garments MMC has made? On how many continents can you find MMC’s designs? What an adventure this has been!
But the world is shifting and MMC is always searching for new and better ways to serve YOU- our loyal clients. Here’s what you can expect for 2024:
- Maggie May Clothing is currently building a variety of ready made/ready to ship garments and accessories for those who need things a bit sooner than our average 3-4 week turn around time. MMC is consistently booking custom made garments 3 months in advance. When we are heavily scheduled, turn around times increase. Last year many of our regularly stocked garments sold out quickly. MMC understands in 2023, you had longer than average wait times and we want to address this! We SO appreciate your patience! Moving forward, I believe having an additional MMC collection of in stock/ready to ship garments will provide more options to help meet your historical clothing needs.
- Beginning January 1, MMC is going paperless. This means all invoices, price quotes, and packing slips will be sent digitally. Be sure to check those emails! It’s just better for the planet!
- Maggie May is excited to bring you a NEW COLLECTION of historically inspired streetwear! As owner and lead designer of MMC, I have been mulling over this for several years. I feel NOW is the ideal time to expand our catalog to include a Modern-Vintage collection. After all, Maggie May turns 30 years old this year! Why not make this a TRUE MILESTONE YEAR! Stay tuned to both the website and newsletter for more details! I am very EXCITED about this extension of MMC’s existing catalog and I hope you are excited too!
A very happy 2024 to all of you! Maggie May Clothing looks forward to keeping up with the old while also bringing in fresh new ideas for a brand new year! Cheers to 30 years of Fine Historical Fashion!
–Susan Jarrett and the team at MMC
