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“Fashion takes you out of reality, it is the art of being beautiful. Costumes
are as far as you can go with that. A costume takes over your
personality.” -Christina Molcillo, founder
The company grew out of the Bay Area belly dance community and
quickly became a trendsetter, providing performance gear to top
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dancers. As founder Christina Molcillo’s vision evolved, she transitioned out
of dancewear and refined the deconstructed and embellished look she is
known for today. She began to apply her methods to set construction as
well, working with a team to create visual fantasias for festivals and studios
alike.
Medina Maitreya
Medina Maitreya fell in love with costume design at a very young age.
Raised in the teeming jungles of the Hawaiian Islands, she began dressing
her dolls in flower petals, leaves and moss. She’s been a professional
makeup artist (with a diploma from The Makeup Designory in Special
Effects and Creature Creation), a successful hairstylist, and after spending
time in the design program at FIDM, enjoyed a three-year stint designing
for Lucent Dossier Vaudeville Cirque, creating countless costumes for their
touring shows.
After a relocation to the bay area, she furthered her fashion design
education at CCSF. She’s costumed a myriad of world-renowned dancers
and performers, including Ariellah, Kami Liddle, Zoe Jakes, The Belly
Dance Super Stars, Colleena Shakti, Jill Parker, March Fourth Marching
Band, and many more.
She currently resides in a seaside castle with her husband and two cats
where she creates her one-of-a-kind costumes and works towards her
Masters Degree in Art History.
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Rose Harden
I love the challenge of creating custom pieces! Expressing the music, the
theatrical vision, enhancing the choreography...
i'd love to work on something for you, just send me an email and let's see
what we can come up with!
I use the same singer sewing machine my mom learned to sew on.
Melodia Designs
Can Money Buy You Love? Why I Pay for 'Made in the USA' ★
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designs are made primarily of eco-sourced materials and natural fibers
such as modal, bamboo, and organic cotton.
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quality of their craft and work long hours to meet deadlines and provide for their
families.
Running production in San Diego is my choice, because not only do I value these
relationships, local production allows me a personal hand in quality control, which
ultimately has an impact on the outcome of each piece. There is, however, a
price to produce in my home town. The cost of living in the U.S., particularly in
Southern California, is especially high. In order for my contractors to afford the
costs of insurance and benefits, their labor costs must be many times higher than
those of the apparel companies operating from foreign countries. There are also
labor laws in the U.S. that protect human rights. Implementation of the laws to
insure worker rights, such as paid breaks and overtime wages, results in higher
manufacturing costs. I am very grateful my contractors take care of their staff, for
if not for them, none of us could enjoy my creative visions actualized.
I am shocked and saddened when I see cheap, disposable clothing sold for $10.
I know first hand what it costs to buy fabric that is responsibly milled and to pay a
fair price for sewing. Basic math proves that selling “cheap” can only afford the
use of toxic materials assembled by slave laborers ….and unfortunately, that is
exactly what is happening in much overseas manufacturing. I cringe in disbelief
at such a claim, but after participating in a survey that quantifies “how many
slaves do you own,” based on your purchasing habits, the results were evident.
Kathleen Crowley
Not to mention the fact that my ancestors were tapestry makers, feudal
landlords, warriors, cowboys, pioneers, poets, and magicians.......I was
doomed to a life of drama, lofty imagination, and creative living.
I was bitten by the tribal belly dance bug about 15 years ago and was
smitten by the grace and elegance of American Tribal Style as taught by
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Carolena Nerricio. I have costumed Carolena, FatChanceBellyDance,
Rachel Brice, Samantha Hasthorpe of the Belly Dance Super Stars, Wendy
Marlatt, just to name a few. Hundreds of dancers from around the world
are now gracing the stage in my dancewear. I understand a dancers'
needs. I know how to make an entertainer stand visually above the rest. I
know how to make anyone look better in their garments. Custom fit is my
forte. My aesthetic is unique. My creations are fun. They transform.