Melissa Baswell

Biography

Lincoln Square — While a student at UW-Madison in the 90’s, designer Melissa Baswell would recycle thrift store clothing into “re-newed” garments on a hand-me-down sewing machine. Well before the green movement became popular, she was incorportating sustainable fabrics into her fashion-forward designs in an effort to break the stereotype of eco-fashion being defined as bland, crunchy, burlap sack-style clothing.

Baswell’s designs have been described by York University’s Institute for Research and Innovative Sustainability as: “Definitely some of the best-looking eco-clothes out there. Not just your plain boring old hemp t-shirts, the clothing are actually cut to be flattering. They mimic high fashion considerably well.”