She Chased Her Desire: Now Kelsy Dominick of DiDomenico Structure wishes you to chase yours | Lifestyles

By Hannah Samlall 

When it comes to chasing your desires, there is no time like the existing. Kelsy Dominick of DiDomenico Layout in Haymarket was functioning a authorities work just after graduating from Virginia Tech in 2013 with a double significant in International Experiments and Vogue Merchandising and Design when she commenced earning dresses as a hobby. Rapidly forward to now, and having just celebrated its seventh calendar year anniversary, DiDomenico Style and design is the leader in customized dress couture in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan spot. Kelsy’s story is one particular with a wealthy cultural track record that ought to inspire us all to observe our dreams. 

Kelsy was just 9 many years old when she figured out how to sew. “My mom taught me to sew and my father taught me about artwork,” she said. “I was captivated to something inventive and everything apparel-similar. Ultimately, that culminated in my wish to major in trend style and design.” Soon just after graduating, she took a govt occupation but was left emotion unfulfilled. 

“I remember sitting at the rear of a desk and emotion undervalued,” Kelsy stated. “It was a blessing in disguise simply because it pushed me to make a conclusion about what I needed to basically do. I under no circumstances needed to really feel that way yet again. I desired to come to feel in handle of my destiny and what I was doing.” 

For the 1st yr of organization, Kelsy juggled her government job with creating attire for buddies on the aspect. 1 day a pal despatched her a website link for a vogue demonstrate in New York City. “I used and listened to back again at the past minute,” she stated. “I believed to myself, okay I bought into this massive demonstrate. Now I have to really make the apparel. I had just three months to design and style a whole assortment and present it at New York Manner 7 days.”

Immediately after that, points took off pretty promptly. “We received invited to go to a style present in France,” Kelsy explained. “It was heading to value $40,000, so we began a fundraiser known as 40k to France. We’ve now accomplished demonstrates in a selection of unique nations around the world and ended up the very first Individuals to do a manner demonstrate in Cuba just after they lifted the embargo.”

Prior to learning how to sew, she was no stranger to hardworking craftswomen. Kelsy, who grew up in Haymarket, is of African American and Italian descent and will come from a very long line of entrepreneurial women. On her Italian side, her good aunt crafted robes on a stitching machine from 1914 that sits in Kelsy’s studio these days. On her African American facet, her grandmother ran an upholstery enterprise to aid her 11 children. In addition to running the business enterprise, she manufactured garments for all of her kids, as properly. 

The identify of her company, DiDomenico Structure, includes the unique surname of her household before it was Americanized. “It means the Working day of God,” she stated. “It was something I wanted to incorporate. I felt it was a illustration of the gift that God gave me.” The symbol for her company, to no shock, also has household ties. “It was my grandmother’s signature. Absolutely everyone named her Queen Eleanor,” Kelsy said. “In the final yrs of her lifestyle, she lived with us. I had her in my photoshoots and I integrated her into a great deal of what we did.”

In addition to her enthusiasm for her heritage, Kelsy feels very strongly about philanthropy. “I grew up going on mission outings. I had a intention of performing one particular every other year,” Kelsy explained. “In 2015, I started a journey to ‘Sew the World’ with my trusty sewing device sidekick. In the course of this task, I visited 20 nations around the world and styled image shoots everywhere you go from the center of Egyptian deserts to 60 ft under the area of the ocean.”

In the several years since then the challenge has progressed into so significantly more. “My reasoning at the rear of carrying out this is deeply rooted in my perception that gals can overcome insurmountable items,” Kelsy mentioned. “I have normally viewed robust females in my existence control families, delivery infants, and nevertheless keep potent professions – still build businesses.” Now, Kelsy travels all about the planet educating women how to sew so that they can get started their individual firms and generate their very own profits. “Women carry so many various roles that are so hefty, they should be offered each and every option to make those cases greater,” she mentioned. “I want to be able to assist girls get to their maximum stage of self through techniques they can definitely use, regardless of whether it’s listed here in the US or abroad.” To day, Kelsy has taught far more than 250 gals all over the environment to sew.

Kelsy’s tips for earning your goals occur correct? “It’s possibly ‘one day or working day one particular,’” she reported.  “When it arrives to chasing your desire, get started yesterday.“ She hopes to pass this mentality onto her daughter, Cora, as well.

For extra information and facts on DiDomenico Style and design, take a look at didomenicodesign.com and follow the business on Instagram @didomenico_design and style.