The worst $1400+ I've ever spent! Please read!!
I found McGrew Studios here on yelp, and after reading Su C.'s review, I decided to check them out. I needed custom Lady Gaga costumes made by a very skilled seamstress, and that is what I thought I had found.
After meeting with Jen, I believed she was very skilled in her craft. Beautiful, intricate costumes covered the walls and ceilings, so I thought no doubt that my costumes would be easy for her.
After deciding on the costumes to be made, she gave me a quote and insisted on collecting a deposit. I thought that since it would cost almost $2000 for 2 jackets and 2 foam shoulder insets to be made, that a deposit was reasonable. Going forward, she agreed that I could make payments since that was quite a huge amount of money. She also agreed to make me two custom body suits for $200 each - even though I provided the body shaper and fabric for her to use (unreasonable price!).
As I visited the next 2 times, I gave her $200 each time in payments for the costumes. Upon the 3rd meeting, she demanded full payment for all of the costumes, even though they had not been finished! You wouldn't ever go to a store and give your money to someone with nothing in return! They claimed on multiple occasions that they needed the money "to keep our lights on" and "pay the bills." I'm sorry, but my financial responsibility is to pay for finished costumes, NOT your bills.
Scared by her many threats via email and voicemail, I paid for the rest of the first jacket ($700 for jacket, $300 for the shoulder pad inserts). Plus she had $400 of mine for two custom bodysuits, which I still hadn't received. After giving her the $1000, she sent me picture messages of the the jacket process, to which I was excited because it looked like it was turning out nicely. Boy was I wrong.
She did finally give me one of the bodysuits I had ordered. The day she gave it to me, I had a Lady Gaga performance in SLC to which I would wear it. Upon the FIRST time wearing it, it ripped up the back and up the sides. I was extremely upset with this poor craftsmanship, but she claimed it was just part of "wear and tear" and that she would not repair it for me.
Since I now live in Vegas, I had a girlfriend of mine to to her studio to pick up the finished jacket and mail to me. When I got the jacket, I found it to be of CHEAP material and VERY poorly constructed. Being a professional seamstress myself at one point, I was able to see all the careless mistakes made within the jacket, as though she threw it together in order to get paid. "Couture" construction is one thing, but unsymmetrical pleats and untrimmed seams are just ridiculous.
Dissatisfied with the final outcome, I wrote to her expressing my concern and that I would like a refund or SOMETHING done, to which she denied me. She claimed that when she gave the jacket to my friend that it released her of any liability of the costume and that I would have to take it AS IS! Is this any way to run a business?? Whatever happened to 100% satisfaction guarantee?? I am now stuck with a POS lady gaga jacket that I cannot wear since it is so poorly constructed that it doesn't even fit correctly.
I would stay FAR away from this company. There are MANY other brilliant costume makers that will charge a quarter of the price for the same garment and better construction. read more
