Meet Melissa

It started with a Cinderella costume and a Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo wish. Like so many little girls, Melissa Garroutte grew up enchanted by the magic of fairytales — by the swooping gowns, the impossible silhouettes, the sense that clothes could transform you into someone entirely different.

That enchantment never left. What changed was the needle in her hand.

Melissa is a self-taught costume designer and corset maker based in Winchester, Virginia. She founded Corset Carriage out of a deep belief that everyone deserves access to clothing that makes them feel powerful, beautiful, and completely themselves — regardless of size, shape, or occasion.

Her work draws from a wide world of inspiration: the dark fairytales of Tim Burton, the lush romanticism of Studio Ghibli, the sweeping gowns of historical period films, and the bold theatricality of burlesque and cosplay. She doesn't make "Halloween costumes" — she makes garments. Pieces built to last, built to fit, and built to be worn again and again.

Every corset at Corset Carriage is steel-boned, fully lined, and constructed with the same techniques used in 19th-century couture. Every gown is patterned specifically for the body that will wear it. Melissa doesn't work from generic patterns — she builds from scratch, from measurements, from conversation.

She has created pieces for brides who wanted something truly one-of-a-kind, performers who needed to move freely while looking spectacular, collectors who wanted screen-accurate replicas, and everyday dreamers who simply wanted to feel extraordinary.

When she's not in her studio stitching, Melissa can be found haunting vintage shops, rewatching old Disney films "for research," and plotting her next ridiculously ambitious project.

“I want you to put this on and feel like a completely different version of yourself. The best version. The fantasy version. The one you always knew was in there.”

— Melissa Garroutte