Canadian Designer Profile: Maybe By Catalfo + Dress Giveaway!
Canadian designer, Sarah Catalfo, designs formal dresses that are fun and whimsical, with a philosophy that there are no limits when designing with colour and embellishments!
Sarah has created for notable celebrities, including singing star, Lights, for whom she designed her 2009 Juno Awards dress, as well as the wardrobe for three of her videos, and Nicole Arbour‘s dress for the 2013 MMVAs.
Name: Sarah Catalfo
Age: 24
Company: Maybe By Catalfo
Hometown: Orillia, Ontario
Now living in: Toronto, Ontario
Star Sign: ARIES!
Favourite colour: Turquoise
Favourite Movie: Breakfast at Tiffany’s
What inspired you to begin designing your own party dresses and what continues to inspire you, seven years later?
I started designing my own dresses when I was 17 not only because it quickly became my passion, but because I realized I had to.
In my mind I could see the dresses that I wanted to wear for semi-formal events, but there was nothing available to me in the market that even came close.
I explored fashion designers and discovered my two earliest influencers; Versace and Betsey Johnson. Sophisticated, colourful and flirty; this was my focus when designing my own dresses.
In three words, describe your personal style.
Feminine, Coy and Maybe.
What’s the most important thing to consider when dressing for a formal occasion?
It’s important for young women to recognize their best features. When you are dressed in colours and fits that compliment you, it can make a world of a difference to your overall confidence. We often compare ourselves to what brands are marketing to us, but a dress will look different on each person. You have to find the fit that is show-stopping on you and that you absolutely love to wear.
If you could design an outfit for anyone, who would it be and what would you put them into?
I actually love designing for my best friends. I know each of their personalities so well, which inspires my designs differently, since they’re each unique. I also know what looks amazing on each of them and what they like.
I’ve done this a couple of times, it’s just so much fun to play with fashion!
What are your professional goals over the next five years?
My goal is to continue to put out new collections two or three times a year.
I’d like to reach more Maybe Girls, who are looking to be unique and love fashion, not only through boutiques close to them, but I plan to reach them face-to-face, whether nationally or internationally. I want them to inspire me to design new collections for their day-to-day wardrobes and for party wear. The best way to do this is for them to tell me about their individual style so that I can get to know who they are and what they want.
What about our readers that aren’t interested in the off-the-rack dresses, who want something unique, but are intimidated by the cost of a custom-made dress?
We’re inundated with so many different fashion trends today that the choices can be confusing. In our Canadian market, the choices are also limited to what’s available in stores. I want girls to know that you can find your perfect dress. By designing your own dress, you can pick the elements of each style and trend that you like and create a statement that reflects your individuality and suits your personality.
Custom designed dresses from Maybe by Catalfo are affordable, providing a great option for your upcoming prom or formal event:
Turnaround time – 2- 4 weeks depending on the dress and client’s location,
Cost (not including shipping) – Starting at $150. Includes fabric cost + labour cost + design fee. Pricing includes design consultation, fit measurements, and a sketch of your design in the end.
If you’re not in the Greater Toronto Area, how to take detailed measurements will be explained in order to fit the dress specifically to your body.
Tell us about Choose Your Charity.
Choose Your Charity gives 10% of proceeds to the supported charity of your choice. The program is important to Maybe by Catalfo because we want to have a positive effect our community and we want to give our Maybe Girls an opportunity to do the same. We want to share our values with Maybe Girls and keep the bigger picture of other peoples’ needs in mind.
We currently support Rethink Breast Cancer, The Heart & Stroke Foundation, Samaritan’s Purse and The RACH Fund.
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Enter below to win a custom-fitted dress for prom, grad or other special occasion!
Please note that the dress will take 2 – 4 weeks to make once the measurements are received.
Don’t forget to read the contest rules!