About Miss Leneé
Miss Leneé first developed her fascination with fabric and design at the age of 7 while watching her mother work magic with a needle and thread. After learning how to make clothes for her Barbies from her mother’s spare fabric, her passion for the craft and art of sewing began to bloom.
Her career as a seamstress started as young twenty-something, when after giving birth to her daughter, she began crafting boat covers for customers at the local marina to provide income for her new family. While the pay was low and the work was hard, this experience helped build the foundation for all that was to come. Leneé went on to take her first seamstress position at the venerable Stephenson's in Elkhart, Indiana, taking her first steps into the role of a professional tailor and bridal seamstress.
Over the following years, her skills blossomed. With nuanced craft, dexterous fingers, and uncompromising commitment to excellence, Miss Leneé came to be trusted for high-pressure projects. She eventually expanded her clientele from tri-state brides and prom-goers to national pageant contestants. Little by little, her reputation grew, and she came to earn the trust of many girls and women who have gone on to become some of the pageant world’s top talents.
Based in the greater Elkhart, IN area, Miss Leneé has since become a familiar name within high-end pageant and bridal gown communities. She is widely recognized for her work on sophisticated couture gowns, and specializes in complicated alterations for dresses with intricate beadwork, problematic fabrics, and complex hems including liquid bead, horsehair, lace, and monofilament, or “Curly Hems”.
Her work has helped lead numerous pageant girls to achieve state and national titles, among with many other local and regional pageant winners. Most recently, Miss Leneé was named the Official Seamstress for Miss USA and Miss Teen USA Indiana State Pageant. She is the go-to seamstress for one of the premier gown retailers in America, Ashley Rene's.
After initially focusing solely on clients in the Midwest, Miss Leneé now travels across the country for custom gown work, repairs, and alterations for both bridal and pageant clients. She is proud to work with girls at all levels in their pageant careers - from local competitions and teen events up to major pageant contenders – and takes great pride in the empowerment she helps to instill in each woman she works with.
