New custom garment studio, vintage shop opens in downtown Youngstown
Ariel Brockway is the owner and head seamstress at Mended Apparel, a new woman-owned retail shop open for business in Youngstown.
At Mended Apparel, Brockway’s goal is to create garments that tell a unique story with vintage inspirations.
“Most of the garments are crafted from vintage fabrics and patterns including details such as zippers, buttons and seam bindings,” Brockway wrote on her website. “Each accoutrement carries its own history, making every garment feel as if it’s from a bygone era. This is where the name ‘Mended Apparel’ comes from - mending past with the present to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind garments.”
Brockway studied technical fashion design at Kent State University.
“When I was in design school, I never would have imagined myself as a seamstress,” she wrote. “However, during my internship at Art of Cloth, a passion and skill for sewing became luminous. It was there that I truly felt at home, where both my analytical and creative minds could flourish together.”
She visits antique shops, estate sales, and textile warehouses to find vintage fabric, zippers, buttons, and trims to create each limited-edition piece.
Head downtown to visit Mended Apparel from noon - 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday as well as from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Saturday for one-of-a-kind pieces on North Phelps Street. Mended Apparel is open by appointment on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Want to learn how to sew from a pro from Brockway? Check out her YouTube channel for videos on sewing your own clothes.
