A Perfect Fit

Whenever you need to dress up for the occasion, you can always count on my professional skills in making formal women’s clothing. Hello, my name is Laurie, the owner of The Straight Stitch. I have always been passionate about clothing and fabric, from when I started sewing at 10-years-old and even now.

During my early teens, I worked on costumes for local theater. In 1980, I graduated from Occidental College with degrees in music, specializing in voice, and theater, specializing in costume design. I also designed the clothes for the actors of their summer theater while I was studying there.

Later on, I got accepted at NYU School of Design. I decided to move to New York City, where I also worked in the NY Theater. In the 1980s, I ran the off-Broadway costume shop of Playwrights Horizons, where I did the original Driving Miss Daisy and dozens of other new plays, including the showcase of Into the Woods.

In those years, I worked with stylist Irene Bilo in commercials and made costumes for modern dance and opera. In 1989, I started working in film. My first memorable film was A Bronx Tale. Throughout my career, I made, fit, and altered clothing for over a hundred movies, including Carlito’s Way, A Beautiful Mind, The Grinch, Salt, and American Gangster. My last job before I retired from the film industry was in the first season of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.