Designer Profile: Madalyn Manzeck
By Alexa Carlson, Fashion Editor
They say you never go back, but tonight Moda alum, Madalyn Manzeck is returning to Madison to show her most recent lingerie collection designed exclusively for UW Fashion Week.
Moulin Rouge in the 1920s. Decadence. Extravagance. But with a modern twist. That was the starting point for Madalyn’s collection. All of the pieces in her collection are a mix of fantasy and functionality. Madalyn focused on soft lingerie, meaning no underwire or boning so the collection extremely wearable.
Madalyn’s favorite piece in the collection (although she tries not to play favorites) is a red, two-piece set that features oriental inspired sleeves. The inspiration came from the fact oriental styles were extremely popular in Paris during the 1920s.
Sleeves such as these are what give the lingerie the wow-factor on the runway, a tactic Madalyn gleaned from the Victoria’s Secret fashion show. Since undergarments are pieces that are naturally small and fit close to the body flowy sleeves, capes and trains are what turn these pieces into show-stoppers.
While Madalyn was designing this collection she took the next step and opened her very own studio and officially became an LLC. Her typical day in the studio begins with catching up on emails, doing research for her designs and sketching. Later in the morning, once her coffee has kicked in, she pulls everything together and gets behind the sewing machine.
When asked what her biggest challenge has been this past year Madalyn laughed and simply said learning a lot about life. She spoke of learning how to be creative on a budget while building her own business. However, all of the stress, work and new challenges are worth it to her.
Madalyn loves being her own boss and getting to do what she’s passionate about every single day. She used to think she wanted to work at a large, established company but being an independent, bespoke designer has completely changed her mind. Getting to work one-on-one with customers, whether it be a designing over a dozen costumes for a dance team or creating a custom piece for a maternity shoot, is where Madalyn finds the most joy of being a designer.
Meet Madalyn and the other designers tonight before the fashion show during our Designer Meet & Greet in Varsity Hall in Union South at 7pm! The show will follow, beginning at 8pm! See you there!