APRIL BONASERA

It all started when…

April was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, and grew up watching her grandmother, Edna, a talented seamstress who once did alterations in Attala, Alabama. In her workshop, Edna crafted everything from dolls, bunnies, Santas, and bears—often made from her great-great-grandmother’s quilts—to clothes for April and her family, including every Easter dress. April also drew inspiration from iconic designers of the nineties like Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood, whom she admired on E! Fashion Files, her only glimpse into the fashion world. Just two years after surviving a traumatic brain injury right out of high school, April earned her degree in Apparel/Textile Design from The University of Alabama. She started in retail before launching her career as a CAD pattern designer for Summer Classics, a prestigious luxury outdoor furniture company.

From that point onward, fate serendipitously introduced her to the captivating world of costume design, where she found a strong, supportive theatre family in Iowa that would nurture her creative talents. Her initial love for costumes gradually transformed into a flourishing career focused on the intricate design, building, and altering of costumes for both stage and screen. Throughout her career, April has collaborated with a variety of artistic disciplines, including theatre, opera, film, television, and live events, including musical acts of all kinds. She has had the opportunity to build stunning costumes for award-winning designers and celebrated directors, such as the legendary Francis Ford Coppola and the acclaimed Colleen Atwood.

In 2023, during the writers' strikes, she decided to return to her roots in Birmingham and opened her full-service studio, Dress Dye Magic, to continue her love for costume design and textile art. The mission of Dress Dye Magic is to share the knowledge and skills needed to keep the art of dressmaking alive while reimagining textiles in a sustainable, ethical way. This means making thoughtful use of existing resources and committing to quality craftsmanship, backed by over 20 years of experience.

Every product and service is carefully handmade, with April’s work featuring beloved vintage southern linens passed down through families, along with locally sourced treasures. The linens are naturally dyed through mindful, slow processes, rooted in both scientific and historical methods. April uses plants that are ethically foraged or grown in her own dye garden in Birmingham, Alabama.