Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Collins-Windle.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My Journey with MCWOriginal, my journey began at home with a $20 thrift store sewing machine and a dream. While my husband Arnold Dennis Windle Jr USMC veteran was working at the Veterans Affairs became my biggest supporter, encouraging me to turn my passion for design into something bigger what started as creating pieces I wanted to wear grew into MCWOriginal with his unwavering belief fueling every step after losing him 2 years ago I transformed that love and encouragement he gave me into expanding the business further. I built an online store, grew my TikTok, following to 10K, My Google Local Travel went to 10k views and MCWOriginal along with FTMFASHIONWEEK collaborated to launch Front Row Live with Michelle and Toya live show his faith in my talent, continues to drive me forward, and the brand has already gone international. I stream Front Row Live with Michelle and Toya from Jacksonville, North Carolina, while my collaborator Latoya streams from okinawa, Japan Connecting.Audiences across the globe , it’s proof that when someone believes in your vision , that deeply their love can carry your dreams anywhere
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It was far from smooth, this journey has been marked by profound personal losses that tested my strength at every turn while building MCWOriginal from a $20 thrift store sewing machine, I was simultaneously dealing with my husband’s illness, then losing him 2 years ago, the grief didn’t stop there. I also lost my mother, my brother, my husband mom #1 ,my niece and a favorite cousin during this period that level of grief was overwhelming and often stifled my ability to create and put content out consistently. There were times when the emotional weight made it nearly impossible to focus on the business to be creative or to show up for my audience, the way I wanted to, but I overcame those dark periods and got back on track. Getting myself back into the rhythm of creating and building the brand each loss taught me that MCWOriginal wasn’t just a business. It became my way of honoring their memory and channeling that love into something meaningful. The struggles with grief combined with the practical challenges of growing from 0 to 10K TikTok followers and launching international Front Row Live with Michelle and Toya show prove that resilience can emerge from the deepest pain every piece I create. Now carries the strength I found in overcoming those losses.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a fashion designer and founder of MCWOriginal specializing in creating pieces that blend comfort with style garments that make women feel confident and beautiful in their everyday lives. My work focuses on Couture, African Attire,circle skirts recently launched resort wear, including denim pieces that transition seamlessly from casual to elevated looks what I’m known for is building an authentic brand from absolutely nothing, starting with that $20 thrift store sewing machine and growing it into an international presence with 10K TikTok followers and Front Row Live with Michelle and Toya live shows that stream globally. I’ve partnered with FTMFASHIONWEEK. But what really sets me apart is the story behind every stitch what I’m most proud of is how MCWOriginal became a testament to resilience through profound personal losses, my husband father,mother, brother, mother in love, niece and favorite cousin. I transformed grief into creative fuel while others might have stopped, I used fashion as my way of honoring their memory and proving the dreams don’t die with the people who believed in them. What sets me apart is authenticity in an industry that often values image over substance, I’m not just selling clothes, I’m sharing a journey of survival, creativity. And the power of starting over my customers don’t just buy a piece, they become part of a story that proves $20 and determination can build something beautiful and lasting.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Start where you are with what you have. I began with $20 in a thrift store sewing machine proof that your budget doesn’t determine your potential. Don’t wait for perfect conditions or expensive equipment to chase your dreams. What I wish I’d known earlier is that grief and setbacks don’t disqualify you from success, they can actually feel it when I lost my husband father, mother, brother,Mother in Love, niece and favorite cousin. I thought my creative journey was over instead, those experiences taught me that resilience becomes your greatest design tool, build authentic connections from day one growing to 10K TikTok followers my Google travel reached 10k views and launching international Front Row LIve with Michelle andToya. That has happened because I shared my real story, not a polished version, people connect with truth, struggle and genuine passion, more than perfection document, everything your process, your growth, your failures, what feels insignificant today becomes powerful content tomorrow. Those early pieces I made on that $20 machine now represent the foundation story that sets MCWOriginal apart. Most importantly, find your why beyond profit mine became honoring the people I lost while proving that dreams survive even the deepest pain. When your purpose is bigger than your obstacles, you’ll find strength you didn’t know, existed, don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle focus on your next stitch, your next post your next small step forward. $20 can become an international brand if you’re really Start and keep going.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mcworiginal.com
- Instagram: MCWOriginal_1
- Facebook: MCWOriginal
