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At Unbox the Dress® we feel honored when our customers trust us to redesign their cherished wedding gowns into heirloom quality keepsakes and gifts. Our happy customers love the artisan-quality and detailed workmanship in our designs, made possible by the very talented women on our team affectionately known as our Graceful Sewers™.
Our team of trained professionals brings master-level sewing skills, bridal industry design experience and a heart-felt commitment to pleasing our customers.
Each seamstress has been formally trained accordingly to our unique wedding dress redesign process and proprietary redesign product patterns. This quality training ensures each customer's dress is handled with care, meticulously deconstructed and reconstructed to realize its beauty and maximize the use of its fabric and lace.
We hope you enjoy learning about some of the talented women and men who create our bespoke products -check out their beautiful work on our website and social channels!
Aliyah Elliott
Aliyah is currently living in Winston-Salem after obtaining a degree in Theatre Design and Technology from Abilene Christian University. The bulk of her experience was gained while studying in college, however (close to the heart of Unbox the Dress) she remade her mother’s wedding dress to wear at her own wedding a few years back! Her favorite Unbox the Dress product to create and display her attention to detail, is the ever-sentimental ring bearer pillow.
Aliyah’s career and professional drive was fueled by her costume professor Catherine Baumgardener. She encouraged Aliyah take hone-in on her craft by providing mentorship and pushing her to seize every opportunity her school offered. 2
Hunter Stansell
Hunter is a class of 2020 graduate of the UNC School of the Arts with a BFA in Costume Design and Technology. He has experience within varied capacities of the entertainment industry including Shakespeare festivals, large-scale musicals and operas, and theme parks.
Hunter's career guidance and encouragement came from his mother’s love and sacrifice partnered with his High School English teacher, Amy Bennett that introduced him to costume design.
Hunter enjoys spending quality time with his partner and their cats as well as getting to know new people. Because his work is driven by the experiences of others, it is no surprise he has already contributed so much to the Unbox the Dress Graceful Sewers™.
Luathsee Xiong
A Morganton, North Carolina resident, Luathsee is a valued new addition to the Graceful Sewers™! She received her degree from Appalachian State University where she was involved in several design showcases and student collaborative challenges. Her keen design eye is the reason behind the Swing Shorts being her favorite Unbox the Design product to create.
Luathsee finds inspiration for her career journey through her step-grandmother and mother. During her spare time, she can be found crafting, shopping, and taking photos.
Linda Payne Hancock
Linda developed her expert-level sewing skills while working as the Costume Shop Manager at the Old Salem Museum & Gardens. There she created and repaired historically accurate costumes worn by the historic interpreters. During her time at the Museum she studied under her mentor Joy Reich who taught her “everything she knows!”
Linda is also inspired by her mother, Maxine Payne, whose resilience and positivity set an example for her Linda.
Today Linda's attention to detail and problem solving skills makes her a true asset to the team – and her skillful work can especially be appreciated on products like Linda’s favorite design, our Angel Tree Topper.
Taylor Newell
A recent graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts with a major in Costume Design and Technology, we’re lucky to have Taylor as a member of the design team. She studied closely under Carolyn Walker, who helped Taylor develop problem-solving skills and techniques she will use her entire career.
Her background in theatrical costume construction, working closely with designers to bring their vision to life, has set a solid foundation for her current work. Taylor transforms bridal dresses of all eras into fresh designs based on client input.
In her free time you can find this Winston Salem native baking or listening to K-Pop and Podcasts.
Loretta has years of experience altering and creating bridal gowns, including working at Vera Wang Bridal House. She’s right at home working with the ornate bridal fabrics at Unbox the Dress!
Loretta’s keen eye knows just the right amount of lace and embellishments to apply to make heirlooms balanced yet special – not to mention her excellent technical abilities.
Her favorite items to create for clients include all things baby – from christening gowns, to our Little Boy’s Vest, to those tiny baby booties!
Rebekah Rose, Design Production Manager
Rebekah studied Theatre Costume Design and Construction at Baldwin-Wallace University in Ohio – honing valuable skills like draping, pattern drafting, corset work and complex garment construction. With experience working directly in bridal, she most recently managed the Costume Shop at East Carolina University.
Rebekah’s talent for managing and coaching our team of seamstresses is thanks to mentorship by women like Charlotte Yetmen, her college advisor and costume mentor. “She has spent her life perfecting her craft, and her main goal is for every student she teaches to be their very best,” she said.
While Rebekah’s favorite design is our Angel Tree Topper, she is responsible for making sure each customer’s dress move through our wedding dress redesign process with the white-glove treatment it deserves!
Courtney Weaver, Customer Care Specialist
Courtney’s appreciation for the past has been a theme of her career, as she studied Anthropology at UNC Chapel Hill. Today, she is the team’s point person for making sure each client is comfortable and excited about their wedding dress redesign.
With a background in specialty retail management, Courtney loves “helping women feel empowered and confident!” Hailing from High Point, NC she enjoys cooking and coming up with her own recipes in her free time.
Courtney is inspired by her maternal grandmother who helped her develop an appreciation of little details from a young age – a skill she naturally brings to her role as she walks our clients through their design consultations!
