Holding firmly to a simple philosophy that fashion should be joyful, Madelange infuses her disciplined and exacting artistry with the calm sensibility of her native Caribbean culture. After graduating from the Moore College of Art, Madelange honed her skills as an apprentice to Frank Agostino before launching her own label.
Born and raised in Haiti, Madelange was the youngest of fourteen children. Her genius for fabric choices and design emerged at a very young age; she would collect swatches of fabric and use them to design clothing for her dolls. Her mother, an accomplished seamstress, provided Madelange’s foundational training in needlework, and by age 16, she had the skills of a professional.
Fiercely proud of the skills she learned from her mother, and deeply respectful of the formal training she received from Agostino and others, Madelange has emerged as an unusually well-rounded artist capable of both the highest quality craftsmanship and groundbreaking design. Her work has been described as “classic,” “timeless,” and “luxurious” in such publications as The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Mercury, and The Reporter.
Madelange was the Savannah De Vore ’98 Critic Award winner for her men’s and women’s wear lines. She has shown at Atlantic City Fashion Week and is known for her work on Franc Agostino’s evening wear. She has attracted the attention of her peers. For instance, Danny Noble has described her as “...absolutely driven” and has praised her embroidery and complex designs. According to Le Tran, who teaches technical design at Moore, “She can do anything.”
