When the pandemic hit, the French atelier where Yaqi Sun worked as a pattern maker closed its doors. “We’d been working together for five years,” she recalls. “But during the pandemic, the owner, Nicolas, decided to move back to France with his family."
Finding herself without full-time work as the fashion industry slowed, Yaqi decided to take a leap. “Nobody was hiring a full-time pattern maker during that time,” she says. “So, I thought maybe I should run a small space and try to do something myself. And Nicolas introduced me to some clients. That’s very important, in the beginning, to have some clients already trust you. I'm very grateful.”
From a tiny space that “could barely fit three people,” Yaqi launched Atelier YQS, a full-service pattern making and sample room. Today, the business has grown into a sought-after studio in Manhattan’s Garment District, where Yaqi and her small team develop intricate patterns and samples for designers, runway collections, bridal gowns, red carpet events, and celebrity alterations.
The process is hands-on and time-intensive. Yaqi begins with a designer’s sketches and fabric swatches, draping muslin on mannequins, refining patterns, and creating multiple samples and fittings before producing a final garment.
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