As soon as I broke the news that David Ferron is opening a dressmaking and tailoring business at the former Unionville Saddle Shop, I started receiving e-mails and texts:
Will he do prom dresses? (Yes; in fact there's one in his shop window.)
Can he take in a too-large hunt vest and add a hook-and-eye closure to a wool melton coat? (Yes and yes.)
How soon is he opening? (March 1, fingers crossed.)
When I stopped by to interview him on Jan. 25, he was busy painting and renovating.
"You're standing where the dressing room will be," he said.
David graduated from UHS in 2007 and then from the Parsons School of Design in 2011. He was named designer of the year for women's wear, flew to China to participate in a student showcase, and then went on to work for a couple of big names in the fashion world.
This past Christmas, he was home and his mother, Patton Middle School art teacher Ann (Curtis) Ferron, took him past the for-rent Saddle Shop to show him the renovation work that Dave Ferron, his father, was doing on it. (Coincidentally, Ann grew up in the house right next door to the shop.)
The wheels started to turn and David made the decision to rent the space, leave Brooklyn and start a business back in his home town.
He envisions three "tiers" of garment-making: totally custom work, starting from a sketch; partially customized pieces, working from a core collection of classic silhouettes; and tailoring and restoring and repurposing vintage clothes.
The tagline on his website is "Your Body, Infinite Options," and he said that one key part of good design is "It's never your body that's the problem."David said that moving from Brooklyn back to Unionville has been a bit of an adjustment ("I can't do karaoke until 4 a.m. on a Tuesday") but he has found plenty to keep him busy, including making as many local connections as he can and hanging out with his brother Chris (who plays with the popular local band Marlboro Road).
"David Ferron at Unionville Saddle" is at 1712 West Doe Run Road in "downtown Unionville," and his website is davidferron.com.
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