Angela Zampell keeps the Seacoast fashionable

Angela Zampell, owner of Mode Merr in Rochester, thought last week would be a good time to premiere some of her new women’s clothing designs.    

The 35-year-old clothes maker co-hosted her third fashion brunch in New York City at Marion’s in the Bowery. While brunch was being served, attendees were treated to performances by burlesque dancers, one of whom is Angie Pontani, Zampell’s partner in the event. A fashion show followed, with models of all shapes and sizes donning Zampell’s clothing. Two shows were held this year, and Zampell likened the reactions to “Filene’s Basement on wedding dress day.” Bust magazine even came to cover the event.

But bringing out new designs was both a blessing and a curse. “A lot of those gals wanted those dresses then and there, and I was sort of just testing them out to get reactions,” Zampell said in a recent interview with The Wire. “But it worked out, and it was so nice to see the designs on people. We have models from size two to size 22, and you can tell that the audience appreciated that because it’s a lot easier to picture yourself in something with a real figure, a natural figure, wearing it. On the Web site, everything looks great, but to be able to see it on a real person has really helped my business.”

Mode Merr is almost 20 years old now. Zampell, who hails originally from Beverly, Mass., began her business in 1989, first stitching clothes that she sold at “Tupperware-style” parties. “I was always sewing. For my family, though not professional sewers, it was always something we did as a hobby,” the designer said. “I went to art school, briefly. I got kicked out for artistic differences. I went to California and started selling ... I was only there for like a month and I got my confidence back, because although the art school said I wasn’t gonna ever be able to sell my designs, before I left I had sold on Newbury Street in Boston. Then I went to Melrose Ave., which at the time was pretty cool for independent boutiques.”     

Starting out, Zampell says, she did her sewing on the side. “I always had another job. I worked doing costuming for the Boston Lyric Opera Company. I got a lot of experience from that, learning on the fly,” she said. “You always had a deadline and you had to just go out and do it, which was great. Really much more of an education than my brief stay at art school.” Upon returning, she sewed her clothes in studios, first in Boston and then in Haverhill, Mass. She moved to a space in Rochester three years ago. Art Bits, a boutique, recently opened downstairs from Zampell’s studio, providing a retail location for her clothing. The boutique also carries accessories made by local handbag designer Crystal Roberge, owner of Needle in the Six. Roberge made bags to accompany some of Zampell’s dresses during the recent New York show, using images designed by tattoo artist Aaron Bellve, of Pennsylvania.

Zampell’s clothing embodies a 1950s style combined with her 21st-century sensibility. Flames and anchors compliment polka dots and stripes. Panthers climb up the sides of skirts, leopard print adds a bit of sass to a satin dress. Everything has a little twist of va-voom. She describes her style as being retro-influenced with a modern fit. “Our tagline used to be, ‘Clothing that gets you the attention you deserve,’” she said. “I think that’s still true, but I think it’s the right kind of attention, because my clothing, even though a lot of people describe it as sexy, it’s not showing everything that someone has. It’s more the insinuation of your figure, and I think that’s why a lot of women do like it, because it’s attractive and sassy ... but it’s not cropped and short and backless and this and that, so more figures can fit into it and look nice.”

While her current style has treated Zampell well, she has hopes of expanding. “I’m trying to branch out of rockabilly exclusively, mainly because of my competitors. A lot of theirs is not made in this country,” she said. “I feel my quality is better, but it’s hard to educate a customer online that this lasts forever. You will keep it as long as you would want to wear it and that’s my goal, to have really well-made pieces ... So I’m trying to broaden my market a little bit to people who just want well-made, curve-friendly clothing.”

The Mode Merr Web site went up in 2000. Easily traversable and colorful as candy, Zampell’s work is showcased by tattoo-laden models, many of whom are her friends and customers. She and an ever-growing staff stitch the clothing to fill the increasing number of orders that come in from places like New York, Los Angeles and Europe. Has the success of her line made her think about leaving New Hampshire? No, she says. On the contrary, she hopes to put together some local fashion shows, “just to get a reaction and see if there is anybody out there who would want anything.”

Zampell says she has no plans to take Mode Merr out of the state. “I want to stay. It’s always nice to have a business-friendly state to work in. I don’t feel that I need to be in L.A.,” she said. “A lot of people think we’re from L.A., because the clothing is similar to companies out there. I feel like with the Internet, you don’t have to be in these cities to be influenced. I like being able to ride my bike down the street and be close to the mountains. We have no plans of leaving.”

Zampell’s clothes can be seen in all their glory at www.ModeMerr.com. Or you can visit them in person at Art Bits, One Winter Street Plaza in Rochester, 603-335-0700.

 See the Dropkick Murphys, featuring Steph in one of Zampell's dresses, on The Jimmy Kimmel Show .