Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Mensonides.
Hi Lisa, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My sewing journey began the summer I was 10 years old, when my mother taught me how to sew a teddy bear. The following summer I started sewing skirts, ecstatic at the idea of wearing something I had created “all by myself”. By my teen years, I was handcrafting funky/chic purses the popular kids wondered why they couldn’t find at retail stores (legend says they’re still scouring E-bay). Next thing I knew, I was avidly sewing my own prom dress. But the real journey began when I was preparing to leave high school and heard they were cutting Home-EC. It was then at 17 I felt like I had a duty beyond myself to preserve what had been one of the most essential skills known to man since the beginning of time: Sewing.
I studied the most successful designers in the world and noticed they were all masters in sketching, design, cutting patterns I couldn’t pronounce. I had a lot of work to do.
As a young adult I invested a lot of elbow grease, working at this bridal shop (that ended up closing down) then that bridal shop (whose values I found I was not comfortable representing). So in 2010 I started my own bridal alterations company, Mensonique, right out of my “older roomates home.” I held onto my part-time retail job for the benefits as I had developed Lyme’s disease, but by 2015 kissed the corporate world goodbye for good.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Throughout my bittersweet experience of owning my business with a disability, I’ve discovered Mensonique showcases a strength I am working to achieve again physically one day. In that sense, my business is much like my body…the more I take care of it, the more it takes care of me and those around me.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Mensonique?
Thanks to my wonderful clients, Mensonique was voted in 2025 as best bridal seamstress in the PNW and renominated again in 2026. I believe what makes us stand out is delivering results quickly without the sacrifice of quality, having a team that compliments each other’s strengths, and making our fittings about building relationships leading up to one of the most important days of their lives.
Though Mensonique has made a name for itself in the seamstress community, we are forging forward in the fashion community by showcasing a collection in this year’s FashioNXT as well. One of the biggest west coast fashion shows in Portland, OR.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Calculated risk is necessary in business. Hiring outside help to keep up with my workload was well outside my comfort zone, and we are now in the process of buying a building to accommodate the growth–talk about risk! But as I walk forward and come closer to being on the other side, I know that every ounce of effort is worth the leap.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mensonique.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mensonique/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mensonique
