Today we’d like to introduce you to Heidi Merkel.
Hi Heidi, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Fashion has always been a part of my world from an early age. I remember having notebook after notebook filled with drawings of glamorous ballgowns. All including ruffles, puff sleeves, lace – elements I still incorporate in my pieces today. It wasn’t until early high school that I really found my love of sewing and design. I had the most fantastic fashion design teacher who taught me so much, pushed me, and let me sneak into her classroom during lunch hour to continue sewing after class year after year. In my senior year in high school, I made all my costumes for my final theater performance. And that’s when I struggled on which direction to go after high school since theater was also a huge part of my life. “Acting or fashion?” was the looming question. I chose acting at that time and still don’t regret that decision because I got to work in the costume shop for work-study and continue sewing under amazing mentors. As college went on theater took over my schedule, and sewing was put on the back burner. After graduation in 2015, I moved to Chicago and it was there that I began dreaming of starting a sustainable fashion brand. With encouragement from my husband, I picked up my sewing machine once again and I knew that was what I should be doing. But Chicago is expensive, and I was already working multiple jobs to pay the bills. So again, my dream was put on the back burner. Fast forward to 2019, my husband and I moved to Kansas City and I set up a small studio space to dive right back into sewing. I got to costume my best friend’s latest production she was directing and learn to sew on other body types other than my own. Well, not too long after…COVID hit. My office job went completely remote and I took that as my opportunity to play around with new designs every week and keep myself accountable with a sewing Instagram account. I found my groove again and finally fell back in my element and started working towards that dream years ago of creating my brand. The summer of 2020 we moved to St. Louis, and by May 2021 I launched my brand, Heididoll Designs, and I cannot tell you the feeling of someone purchasing my first design less than an hour later. A few weeks later, I went to May’s Night Market on a whim and met so many amazing women-owned small businesses. I felt incredibly inspired by that evening and it was like a fire ignited inside me. I began finding my community here, applying to markets and getting excited about the future of Heididoll Designs. After months of sewing until late in the night to make inventory for events and completing custom orders, it became too much. I finally quit my 9-5 to choose my dream and it’s been the best decision of my life.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Starting your own small business feels like a never-ending stream of obstacles to overcome. When you’re first getting started you realize that everything starts and ends with you. You have to hold yourself accountable and get the work done because no one else will. And there is so much that you don’t know when you start. Learning how to price things, deciding on what to make, and the finding the best process for yourself all take time to figure out. Even as a full-time business owner, there never seems to be enough hours in the day to be a pattern designer, pattern grader, sewist, fabric sourcer, marketer, social media creator, accountant, and the list goes on and on. There is a pressure to feel like you have to be an expert in all these different areas and I am still figuring out where to delegate and find those people to bring along on my journey.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Heididoll Designs focuses on creating sustainable feminine clothing for the puff sleeve, frilly, ruffle, and bow-loving gal. Heididoll pieces are made from anything I can get my hands on. My motto is “feminine designs using things that I find”. From fabric I find at estate sales to curtains and placemats to deadstock fabric shops, anything can be a source for my garments. There are so many materials out there to recycle and repurpose and I want this brand to be a part of the solution to healing our environment and encouraging others to do the same. To reduce waste, pieces are released in small batches, made to order, and constructed with stronger seams for longer wear. I am a one-woman-owned business, each garment is designed, sized, and sewn by me in my home studio. In the future, I’d love to partner with other boutiques and vintage shops who have like-minded values where people can shop a small selection of my pieces in person.
A huge thank you to those who have bought pieces from me, shared my posts, and those who have been patient with me as I play with new designs and find a partner who can help with my sizing needs in the near future.
I will be at Tick Tock Tavern on April 23rd from 4:00-8:00 p.m. and would love to see you there!
We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I am lucky to come from an incredibly supportive big family. I am the youngest with four older brothers and we were raised by the hardest working single mom. Despite working multiple jobs to make ends, she has always been our biggest cheerleader. She pushed us to dream big and made sure we had the tools to succeed. Because of this, I was able to explore creative avenues like fashion and acting. We’ve been through a lot as a family and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them and my amazing husband. He is the man often behind the camera taking my pictures, videos, applauding during my never-ending home fashion shows, and giving me pep talks when I’m feeling discouraged or spread too thin.
Contact Info:
- Email: heididollbusiness@gmail.com
- Website: heididolldesigns.etsy.com
- Instagram: @heididolldesigns
Image Credits
Victorious STL Photography
Tori Wright
Tim Merkel
