Today we’d like to introduce you to Gina Vincenza Van Epps
Hi Gina Vincenza, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am the granddaughter and great granddaughter of 4 grandmothers on both sides of my parents, who were seamstresses.
I was 8 years old when my grandmother taught me how to use a sewing machine to make “lap robes” from donated clothing she couldn’t repair to sell at the church thrift store.
In high school I took my first and last sewing class in home economics where I learned how to use sewing patterns. After that, I started making my own clothes. When people asked me where I got what I was wearing and I said “I made it” they started hiring me to make something for them.
Later in life around 2008, I decided to start sewing and a side hustle and called myself “Psycho Seamstress” on a My Space page where I started getting orders.
After posting photos of my work on Craigslist, I was hired by a concert production staffing company to work a rehearsal week for “So You Think You Can Dance?” at the arena, this led to becoming one of the house seamstress at 2 arenas, 2 stadiums and Lakeland Civic center for over a decade.
In 2014 I decided to apply for a Costume Fabrication Specialist job at Universal Studios and despite never having worked on industrial sewing machines, I managed to pass the sewing test.
The same year I founded Orlando Fashion District and started working on a nonprofit mission to bring sewing back to the USA.
Over the years I started making enough money to rent my own Design House StudIo space. My favorite space was on a soundstage where I directed and produced several “Orlando Fashion Battles” and networking events monthly.
In 2015 I restored Janis Joplin’s Cape for the Hard Rock Cafe and was featured in a Beyonce’s Formation World Tour BTS video.
In 2019 I made the fursuit for 2 Bigfoot statues for 2 museums and made some iconic sewn props featured all over the commercials, trailers and ads for “The Right Stuff” TV Series on Disney Plus and was asked to be the technical advisor on a sewing scene.
2020 started off with a bang when I had to sell my front row seats to the Grammy Awards where I had 4 looks on the red carpet, to fly back to Florida to work on Shakira’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Costumes, which resulted in 4 Emmy Nominations and 1 win.
In 2021 I became Costume Designer for nationwide photography studios of Enchanted Fairies. I Designed and managed production of over 400 costumes and 300 pairs of boots for Enchant Christmas in 9 cities and most recently finished 200 costumes for the first LEGO World Parade in California which debuted the summer of 2024.
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?
My biggest challenge has been finding reliable repair people to keep my sewing equipment running and having enough space to work and sew from, for a living.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an Emmy Award winning celebrity seamstress and costume designer.
My skills include design illustration, pattern making, materials sourcing, cutting, sewing and project management.
I am known for being an extremely versatile creative, who thrives on new and exciting challenges and exceeding my clients expectations.
I am most proud of the fact that I am a self made, six figure earning designer and seamstress who has set myself apart from a huge collective of people I work with who don’t take the time to post their work on social media or promote themselves.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Going to my grandmas house to cook, eat, and sew! She’d let me have coffee with ice cream in it and then turn me loose on the sewing machine with a pile of her quilt squares. I loved sewing from age 8 and haven’t stopped sewing since.
Pricing:
- Sewing Lessons and Project Assistance $100 for 2 hours
- Design House Day Rate $250 includes access to me and my equipment
- Design Development Packages start ar $1500
- Red Carpet Designs starts at $2500
- Design Illustrations @ $100 hr
Contact Info:
- Website: https://GinaVincenza.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/6figseamstress
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginavincenza
