Designer, entrepreneur, sewist, activist—it’s hard to use just one word when describing Gabriela Romo.
Through Refemme, her Charlottesville-based business, Romo offers a thoughtful and approachable take on garment repair, upcycling, and alteration.
Romo’s passion for design and sewing developed as a young girl, watching her mother embroider and her grandmother sew. By age 9, she was using her mother’s sewing machine.
“I grew up surrounded by very creative and hardworking women,” says Romo. “I grew up watching my grandma make the same dress over and over, probably like 20 pieces of the same model using different fabrics, and I think that’s what really sparked my curiosity to make and play with fabric.”
That curiosity and desire to create something new led Romo to her first entrepreneurial venture, a swimwear line started with her twin sister.
In 2017, Romo left all of her equipment behind and moved to the U.S., where she settled in Aspen, Colorado. The chilly temps made swimwear a hard sell, so she pivoted to part-time alterations and worked full-time as a surgical assistant (talk about steady hands). Last fall, Romo landed in Charlottesville and launched Refemme as her full-time gig, her commitment to sustainability at the core of Refemme’s mission.
Every year, thousands of pounds of scrap fabric are burned, and millions of tonnes of garments end up in landfills. Romo works to divert unnecessary textile waste by giving well-worn or damaged items a second chance using a variety of repair techniques, including invisible and visible mending. In addition, she fully reworks and restores old garments with sentimental value that wouldn’t get much wear today due to their dated style.
Romo also hosts visible mending workshops at The Scrappy Elephant, and regularly pops up at Darling x Dashing and Bluebird & Co. to accept alterations and repairs.
“Throughout all of these [popups] we’ve been able to divert close to 200 garments that otherwise would have just simply followed the process to a landfill,” says Romo. “I’m so happy that I actually get to impact the people that I work with and at the same time create a positive impact in the environment.”
During wedding season, Romo’s schedule is packed with gown fittings. She recommends brides schedule an initial fitting at least four months in advance of their big day.
“At the initial consultation I get to learn about your dream day, your dream dress, and how we can tailor a custom alteration package for you based on that,” Romo says. “I really like to start with knowing what their relationship with their dress is. How long have they been searching for the dress? How did they feel when they said yes to the dress? What’s the expectation that they have fit-wise?”
Most fittings are completed in three to four visits, depending on how drastic the changes are and how much design work is needed. (One of Romo’s more involved alteration projects, for instance, involved hemming a poofy princess-style wedding dress with yards and yards of fabric.)
“You have to remove all of the embellishments and appliqués from the tulle, process the alterations, execute all the changes, and then bring it back on to the dress as if nothing happened,” she says.
The best part is after the wedding, bridesmaids, and even brides (who says you can’t wear it twice?), can bring their dresses back to Refemme for a complete rework. Instead of a one-and-done bridesmaid dress collecting dust in the closet, or a landfill, now you’ve got a whole new look.
Smooth size-up
Here are a few of Gabriela’s tips for a flawless fitting.
< Bring your shoes! Or a heel with a similar height.
< Wear any undergarments you’ll be wearing under your gown—sticky cups, Spanx, tape, bra, etc.
< Accessories, accessories, accessories—bring them.
< Have an open mind and don’t overthink it.
< Bring a friend—or two—to the final fitting. Someone’s going to have to help you bustle on the big day, and this is a great practice run.
