Today we’d like to introduce you to Madison May.
Hi Madison, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I studied in New York City and took small jobs there in the costuming and fashion industry, then moved to Orlando in 2014 to accept work as a pattern maker for a small studio that serviced Florida’s cruise industry and theme parks. In 2016, I left that position, and some friends of mine who were active in the street fashion and cosplay communities were unsubtle about the need for a good pattern company in those niches.
I started my business – CUT/SEW – as a bootstrap startup with almost no capital or resources, but I felt absurdly confident that I could make it work, even after we fell short of our initial fundraising goal. Somehow we did – we launched with ten patterns rather than twelve and I was printing and folding patterns at my kitchen table for the first year – but we almost immediately went viral online and have grown each year exponentially since then. We’re still a very small business and still entirely artist-owned and operated, but we’re well known within the market and have built a really passionate fan base of people who love what we do, including some who have been with us since the beginning.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
There’s no such thing as a smooth road when you’re a small business! We had a few “lucky breaks” over the years that have boosted business, like collaborating with bigger artists or personalities on patterns, but our biggest struggle has been managing the constantly changing social media landscape as an e-commerce business. We rely almost entirely on Instagram traffic for sales, and it’s put us in difficult situations – especially during the pandemic – when Instagram tweaks its algorithm or customer expectations around social media and a business’s role on its ebb and flow.
As you know, we’re big fans of CUT/SEW. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I own and operate CUT/SEW, which is a small business that designs and produces beginner-friendly sewing patterns for street fashion and inspired by fan culture. Our patterns are set apart by their ease of use – they’re intended for absolute beginners – and they feature styles that are contemporary, young, and costume-focused for folks in both the street fashion & cosplay communities.
I’m incredibly proud of how the brand looks visually, especially since everything from the photography to the graphic design and social media assets are entirely my handiwork. CUT/SEW is a business, but it’s also a sort of art project at the end of the day where I get to be creative while also producing a product that allows other people to be creative as well.
Pricing:
- $20/pattern and they’re available in both digital PDFs and physical format
Contact Info:
- Email: contact@heycutsew.com
- Website: www.cutsew.co
- Instagram: @heycutsew
