Jennifer Oberg is the premier Master Dressmaker and Alteration Specialist on the beautiful island of Maui. She is well-known for her excellent fit, her clever approach to design, her thoughtful attention to details, her superb sewing, and her absolute dedication to her clients’ satisfaction. “I just love my clients. It is a true joy to work with a bride on her dream wedding gown. I’ve had brides who have never been through a complete muslin process before, and it is amazing for them to see how their idea can be transformed into the muslin, and then all the way through to the final, finished gown – with silk, beading, crystals, lace, ruching – whatever their heart desires,” says Jennifer enthusiastically. Jennifer has been working as a dressmaker since 1990. She has a Professional Certification in Professional Patternmaking from the London College of Fashion in London, England. She also has a Bachelors Degree in with a Costume Design emphasis from Liberty University in Virginia, and has an A.A. in Apparel Manufacturing Management from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, California. Since moving to Maui in 2001, her focus has been primarily on making and designing wedding gowns and special occasion wear. But prior to Maui, she was in Hollywood, California, creating custom, couture clothing and high-quality costumes for numerous films, television shows, and many private clients. She worked closely with many talented costume designers on many productions, and learned from many brilliant and gifted artisans - people who had been working in Hollywood costume workrooms for decades. “The wealth of talent in the Hollywood costume workrooms is staggering. There are people who have been there for 40 plus years, and they have so much to share about how to make beautiful clothing. I was in my 20s when I started in Hollywood, and it was overwhelming, but also very exciting. My favorite people were the ones who were near retirement – they had so many stories to share about all the fantastic films they had worked on and the great stars they had worked with. They kept us young kids entertained for hours!” laughs Jennifer. “And the costume designers! What amazing people. They came up with wonderful ideas, great designs. They were great problem-solvers, making the actor look fantastic in spite of his or her figure flaws. They were clever, kind, and discreet. They were so creative with materials. I saw every type of fabric being used, including things like fish-skin, reflective fabric, fireman’s reflective tape, heavy upholstery, leather, silks, $600 a yard beaded chiffon, and more,” says Jennifer. In Hollywood, she worked her way up the ladder of the costume/wardrobe workroom by starting as a seamstress, then becoming a First Hand (the assistant to the Patternmaker), and then a Patternmaker in her own right. Finally, she became the youngest Costume Workroom Supervisor in her union, the Motion Picture Costumers. She served on the Executive Board, Contract Negotiation Committee, and was Chair of the Education Committee. She was instrumental in starting educational classes for members of the union, utilizing long-standing members as instructors to pass along their vast amount of experience to the newer, younger members. These types of classes continue on today through Motion Picture Costumers. Prior to working in Hollywood, Jennifer worked in opera and theater costume shops on the West Coast and East Coast as a seamstress and First Hand – learning from and apprenticing with very experienced artistic people along the way. “Theater and opera costuming is so intense and very fun to do. I loved the period costuming that I was involved with – doing La Boheme with all these gorgeous fitted women’s jackets, Shakespeare productions with corsets and crinolines, making the corsets from scratch – many, many seams and boning. The research was very concentrated as well. We studied historical drawings, photos, and actual garments from the period to learn how to recreate the look. All of that knowledge and skill I learned early in my career has translated very well to creating gorgeous wedding gowns today,” says Jennifer. Some of the movie productions she worked on include Inventing the Abbotts, Wild Bill Hickok, Star Trek: Generations, A Civil Action, Soldier, Last Man Standing, Holy Man, Vampire in Brooklyn, Quiz Show, and A Perfect World. Maui Wedding Association, Maui, Hawaii Association of Sewing and Design Professionals
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