Today we’d like to introduce you to Carolyn Finlayson.
Carolyn, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I went to college in Los Angeles and New York and then settled in London. After getting my Fashion Design degree, I stayed to work in London and eventually started my own line. I sold my collections to stores in London, Japan, Italy, NY and Miami. Then in 1995 I moved to South Beach and opened a club wear shop, Glitzy Tartz of London. This went well and I had a lot of success with my designs until the downturn of 9/11.
Next, I found theater to be very creative. I was the cutter/draper for the Florida Grand Opera for many years where I built some elaborate costumes. The creativity wasn’t just seen on the outside, there was all of the rigging and engineering that went into such huge costumes that had to last for years and had to be worn by a variety of figures. I thrived on the technical aspects of costumes, so different than fashion. I also enjoyed the fast pace of working backstage on the Broadway musicals and ballets.
As a side job, I started doing alterations for actors and friends….this continued for years. I even went to customers’ houses to do the fittings and deliveries at their convenience. This niche proved to be a great business angle. In the meantime, I started working on TV, commercials, movies and music videos which were high budget but very long hours. Then I was the full time tailor for a TV series, Charlie’s Angels, but it only lasted one season. It really changed my outlook and I felt empowered to continue being my own boss. Soon after I was the Costume and Wig Supervisor for an amazing circus show called Orchid. I was in charge of such a large crew with so many responsibilities, I loved it!
Soon after that, 2013, I took the plunge and opened my alteration shop in the Miami Design District. I feel like all of my experiences have helped to make this shop a success. I started with one seamstress and now I have 5, a manager and a delivery person all on my team. They are all so skilled in such a variety of alteration techniques that we can do practically anything! The tailors, seamstresses and dressmakers work so well together, we are like a big family. After being in the Design District for 3 years, I am the established tailoring service for all of the high end shops. I moved my shop to my guesthouse in the Upper East Side but I have continued my reliability by having a pick up & delivery person. We are comfortable here and the customers like the ease of parking with the quaint boutique styled shop.
Has it been a smooth road?
Staying focused on college in London was difficult at times but I was drawn to being creative. I think I am more practical and technical than creative, actually. I think this has helped with my business sense because I have always been very grounded. I never have never had illusions of grandeur but I was naive to think it was going to be easy. Throughout my endeavors, life got in the way and I had to learn how to cope with those stresses and joys while at the same time staying focused on my career.
I am truly blessed to have 3 wonderful kids to share my success with.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We do high end clothing alterations for men and women, plus custom dressmaking. Since I have such a skilled team of seamstresses and tailors, we specialize in all your alteration needs. Over the years, the business has grown rapidly due to excellent customer service and attention to detail.
Clients feel relaxed in our quaint boutique styled shop where they get personal attention and advice on the perfect fit. We service brides, casual wear and professionals.
We are the exclusive tailor to most all of the Miami Design District shops where I go to do fittings or just pick-ups and deliveries. We pride ourselves on the fast turn around and quality of work.
We work on some fast paced, elaborative production jobs like; photo shoots, music videos, commercials, movies and glamorous red carpet events. Some of our many celebrity clients are Marc Anthony, Puff Daddy, Robert Downey Jr., Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, Jim Carry and Kevin Spacey.
We are always professional and understand that every client is important and we love the variety that each day brings.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Miami is a great location for a tailoring shop because people are very body conscious here. Plus, many celebrities live or travel to this international city. We are fortunate that professionals understand the need to get that edge over their completion and often fashion makes a great first impression in a job interview or a promotion. Plus, Miami has a great night life with plenty of events to dress up.
Contact Info:
- Address: Sew On Set Tailor
645 NE 82nd Terrace
Miami, FL 33138 - Website: www.sewonset.com
- Phone: 3054094206
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sewonsettailor/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SewOnSetTailorMiami/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SewOnSet
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sew-on-set-tailor-miami-3
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynfinlayson
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
