Mars Jameson was created by me, Mo Merrell. Hi!
I'm a self-taught designer, mom and Executive Assistant that got my start in all things fashion as a kid learning to sew with a needle and thread and making my barbie dolls "leather" clothing from black electrical tape. My passion for fashion grew stronger in my early twenties where I started sewing clothing by hand until my fingers ached for something a bit more easy to work with which caused me to buy a sewing machine and learn how to use it.
I began creating clothing for myself before venturing out to making clothing for local fashion shows here in Saint Paul, MN. I had intentions to go to college for fashion but decided on - after a few major changes - administrative assistance. My major choice didn't stop my passion for fashion, I did both.
Fast forward a college degree and a decade later......
I started Mars Jameson in August of 2018 not really sure what I wanted to venture in but I knew that I no longer wanted to work in clothing and while on YouTube one day scanning through all that YouTube has, I found a tutorial on how to make a zipper pouch and from there I never stopped learning. One zipper pouch turned into what you see now, a variety of items that I personally design and make.
Making handbags is far more pleasing than I'd ever could have imagined. There are no boundaries with bags and that is what excites me when I create - the possibilities are endless. My bags are all parts of my personality from serious to casual to girly to sporty and being able to offer my style and creativity to the world is a dream come true. I create bags in two ways, a pattern and free-create. Every Mars Jameson bag is a pattern of my own yet I love to buy and create patterns from my favorite pattern makers because it's fun to see how others put bags together not to mention I always learn something new. Sometimes I buy bags and take them apart to see how they were made and challenge myself to put it back together.
My favorite way to create bags is by free-creating. I look at a piece of fabric and mentally build a bag that I'd like to see then I begin to create it choosing the measurements as I cut. It's a lengthy process which takes about double the time to create an already patterned bag but in this moment, I am the most creative. I test the boundaries I've created for myself and bring all that I imagine to life and when I'm finished, I assess the design, wear it for a few days to test it's functionality then I make the necessary adjustments and turn it into a pattern.
I am still growing, learning, expanding, finding new ways to be a better bag maker and I don't think that will ever stop with this area of fashion which is what I find fascinating.
* Mars Jameson is named after my parents. My mom's name was Marsha and my dads name is James.