Dressing to Be Me
Designer Maggie Bermuda insists that the name of her new clothing line was not intended to be cute or clever. Pairing the first two letters of her married name with the first two letters of her maiden name (which is Metza) for her new clothing line just made sense to the Mexican-born designer. It wasn’t until she read it back to herself that she realized that the name in itself contained the design philosophy that would be the backbone of her new missy line, Be Me.
“My goal is to dress that woman who is not necessarily a size 2, but who wants to dress like all her friends in fashionable clothes,” said the former Bisou Bisou designer, whose new line features fashions for women sizes 8 to 14.
Bermuda said the fabrics she uses are made with high-quality natural blends that stretch because “most women can’t get away with the skintight clothes a 17- or 18-year-old can wear,” Bermuda said.
The designer introduces about 35 new pieces each month to “keep things exciting and fresh,” she said. Her current Spring/ Summer collection is based on black and white, beige and green and beige and orange. The line also boasts a colorful cheetah-print color story.
Bermuda says she keeps up with new styles but doesn’t always take the same path as other designers. “I’m on the trends, but I don’t follow them to the T,” she said. “I tweak them a bit to make them classier or just more sophisticated-looking.”
Her basics include flatteringly fitted jackets and pants in a range of neutral shades and always unlined to eliminate unnecessary bulk. Bermuda said she compensates by adding exquisite fabric trims to her clothing.
Wholesale price points are between $35 and $50—“not too cheap, but not too expensive either,” the designer said.
Bermuda hopes her new line will afford the average working girl a trendy wardrobe without going broke. For that reason, the designer says making a huge profit isn’t as important to her as reaching her goal of dressing “the all-American woman that comes from all walks of life.”
For more information on Be Me, call (213) 830-0522, or visit [www.bemestyle.com].
