Made to order
Custom Work.
Pieces that exist once — drawn for one woman, cut for one body, finished for one evening.
Begin a commission
What a commission is
A commission is not a customised version of something we already sell. It is one conversation, one sketch, one length of cloth chosen for you, and a sequence of fittings that ends with a garment no one else owns.
From the sketchbook
Drawn before it was cut.
This is what a commission looks like at the beginning — a black pom-pom appliqué bodice with full puff sleeves over a seamed pencil skirt, drawn and signed by Donna, and now being made by hand.
Follow this pieceSelected commissions
The archive
The lace suit
Hand-appliquéd floral lace on tulle, fully lined at the body
Commissioned for an evening reception
The lace suit, second fitting
Ruffled shoulder, cuffed sleeve, corseted waist seam
The same commission, finished
The puff-sleeve circle dress
Structured mikado, drafted puff sleeve, full circle skirt
Commissioned for a milestone birthday
The fringed shell
Cut-ribbon fringe, laid row by row on a silk shell
Commissioned for a gallery opening
The ruffled short suit
Tiered chiffon ruffle over tailored short, sheer mesh top
Commissioned for a summer soirée
The denim and fur
Reconstructed denim maxi with faux-fur cropped jacket
Commissioned as a personal wardrobe piece
The fringed vest
Floor-length faux leather, cut into fringe row by row over a sheer lace base
Commissioned for an evening out
The fringed vest, in profile
Open front, unstructured shoulder, hem grazing the floor
The same commission, side view
How a commission is made
01
The conversation
We begin with the occasion, the body, and the memory behind it — never with a catalogue.
02
The sketch and the fabric
Donna draws the piece and sources the cloth. Nothing is cut until you have seen both.
03
The fittings
Two to three fittings, in person in Baltimore or by video with a measured muslin.
04
The delivery
Pressed, boxed and handed over — with the notes on how to keep it.
Plainly said
What it costs, and how long it takes
Most commissions fall between $900 and $3,500, depending on cloth, hand-work and the number of fittings. Allow six to twelve weeks; bridal and heavily embellished pieces take longer. A 50% deposit begins the work and is applied to the final price. Deposits are non-refundable once cloth is cut.
No two commissions price the same.
Begin
Tell us what you have in mind
Send the occasion, the silhouette, and anything you have seen and loved. Or sit with Donna for an hour and draw it together.