I started this company to celebrate the memory of my mother, Hye Sook Lee.  She was not just my mentor; she was my inspiration.  She molded me into the woman I am today and taught me how to do what I love – fashion design.  See, when I was a little girl growing up in Korea, my mother owned a tiny dress shop where she sold made-to-order clothes.  She designed, she chose the fabrics, she sewed, and she tailored.  She was the very definition of a “one-stop shop.”  I spent most of my free time in her shop, fascinated by her old Singer sewing machine, all of the beautiful fabrics, the fancy beads, pattern papers, mannequins, and fashion magazines.  The shop may not have been much bigger than a shoebox, but it was a little girl’s paradise!

In fact, my mother designed and made most of my clothes.  To this day, I can still hear the rat-tat-tat of my mother’s antique sewing machine and remember how she used to wake me up in the middle of the night and have me try on the new clothes that she was making for me.  Then, when I awoke the next morning, I was always excited to find the wonderful new clothes that awaited me.  Beautiful dresses!  Blouses!  Jackets!  Pants!  Swimwear!  Even my preschool uniform was homemade!  My clothes helped make me stand out from the crowd and, even at that young age, I liked being different.  Sometimes, my mom even made matching dresses for us – same fabric, but different designs.  We were the coolest mother and daughter on the block!  My passion for fashion design was born.

Thirty years later, my mother is in heaven, but I keep her sewing machine on display in my showroom as I proudly follow in her footsteps by designing clothes for young girls, in the hope that they will be as excited to wear my designs as I was when I wore my mother’s.

My company, Petite Adele, is a new designer brand, providing classic yet stylish dresses for both everyday wear and special occasions (e.g. school events, weddings, communions, etc.).  I want my customers’ daughters to be filled with the same sense of wonder I had.  So, take a look at our inventory and find something for your everyday princess today. 

 Enjoy!

 Sam H. Na

Owner, Petite Adele

P.S. If you buy one of our dresses, take a photograph of your princess wearing it, and hashtag #petiteadele, you will be entered into our monthly drawing for a free dress!