Our Team.
Meet the volunteers at the Couture Pattern Museum, where passion fuels our creative team. Though small in size, we are mighty and efficient in our pursuit of excellence. Join us on this extraordinary journey as we honor the past, celebrate the present, and inspire the future.
Cara Austine-Rademaker, Founder, Curator & Managing Director
RJ Rademaker, Creative Operations Director, Key Advisor
Mystique Latese, Mentor & Key Advisor
Melissa Dagodag, Fashion Lawyer and Trademark/Copyright Attorney
Stephanie Mendes McComb, Community Ambassador & Digital Community Moderator
Povilas Zaleskis, Digital Fashion Designer & Creator, Clo3D Sponsor
Creative Visions Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) that supports creative activists using the arts and media to ignite social change. Assists with fundraising and grants as our California fiscal sponsor.
Cara Austine-Rademaker
Founder, Curator & Managing Director
Cara Austine-Rademaker is the founder, fashion historian, and lead curator of the Couture Pattern Museum, one of the only archives dedicated to preserving haute couture patterns from the Golden Age of Couture. She is a professional member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), headquartered in Paris, and its COSTUME International Committee. Her acceptance followed a six-month review of her work at the museum. ICOM recognizes her contribution to preserving rare couture patterns as part of international dress and textile heritage.
She received haute couture skills training at the Institut Français de la Mode (IFM) in Paris, formerly the École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, historically tied to maisons such as Dior, Chanel, Balenciaga, and Givenchy. This training connects the museum’s work directly to the living tradition of haute couture craftsmanship.
Before founding the museum, Cara worked in finance and actuarial science at UBS and MetLife National Accounts, where she managed a portfolio of Fortune 100 corporate accounts, collaborating with in house actuaries, directors, and consultants to develop, underwrite, price, implement and manage employee benefit programs. Her work also included one of the earliest XML implementations with Electronic Data Systems (EDS) and Towers Perrin. She later completed postgraduate training at the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences. Together, these experiences developed the analytical thinking, systems approach, and attention to detail that now inform the museum's research, cataloging, and preservation of couture patterns as technical heritage documents. During the pandemic, she founded the Couture Pattern Museum, devoting herself full time to its development and mission.
Today, she collaborates with heritage ateliers, industry professionals, and educators to bridge archival history with contemporary practice. Cara founded the Couture Pattern Museum to preserve and share a specialized part of fashion history that larger institutions rarely address. The museum has grown entirely from her vision, curation, and hands-on work over decades, without major institutional backing. Cara remains a volunteer at the museum, with all funds raised through memberships, visits, and donations going directly toward museum operations, preservation, education, and programming.
RJ Rademaker
Director of Operations and Strategic Planning
RJ Rademaker is the Director of Operations and Strategic Planning at the Couture Pattern Museum. He brings decades of leadership experience in law, finance, and nonprofit management to guide the museum’s growth and long-term direction. RJ is a former partner and practice group head at the multinational law firm Skadden Arps where he specialized in corporate restructuring and international M&A, working on high-profile, high-stakes multi-billion-dollar corporate battles. A few highlights of his career include a lead role advising Nasdaq on its multi-billion-dollar tie-up bid with OMX and its attempted hostile takeover of the London Stock Exchange, representing Sony Corp. in multi-billion-dollar corporate and entertainment-related financial transactions, and representing JPMorgan Chase over several decades as lead outside counsel in a wide range of specialized financing transactions totaling in excess of $30 billion.
RJ later served as executive director of a national charity for wounded soldiers, where he volunteered to lead major fundraising, strategic planning, and advocacy efforts. At the museum, RJ oversees strategic initiatives, operational planning, and budget coordination. RJ's legal experience, dedication, creativity, and philanthropic work have been instrumental in supporting the museum’s mission. As a volunteer, RJ's creative and strategic leadership has been essential in helping the museum grow while staying financially lean and independent.
Melissa Dagodag
Fashion Lawyer and Trademark/Copyright Attorney, Legal Counsel for Couture Pattern Museum
Melissa Dagadag is a distinguished fashion lawyer and seasoned attorney recognized for her expertise in trademark and copyright law. With a strong academic background, Melissa holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in English from Stanford University, as well as a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from UCLA School of Law. Her journey in the legal field began after experiencing the frustration of having her own design ideas stolen, inspiring her to protect the creative works of others.
She began her legal career at Manatt, Phelps, and Phillips, LLP, a top California law firm specializing in entertainment and music law. Melissa further enriched her expertise by serving as an in-house attorney handling contracts and business affairs at BCBG, a major fashion company, and Palan Music, an international music publishing company.
As legal counsel for Couture Pattern Museum, Melissa Dagadag brings her comprehensive legal expertise and business experience to safeguard the museum's intellectual property and ensure legal compliance. Her practical legal know-how, effective communication skills, and approachable demeanor distinguish her as a trusted advisor.
With Melissa Dagadag as part of the Couture Pattern Museum team, the organization benefits from her strategic guidance and commitment to supporting creative individuals and businesses.
Mystique Latese
Mentor & Advisor
Since its inception, Mystique Latese, has been the museum's mentor and advisor. Mystique's visionary mentorship is integral to pushing the museum's forward-thinking initiatives.
As the founder of WOC Owned, Mystique is committed to inclusive entrepreneurship, and has created a thriving platform dedicated to bolstering Black and Brown women entrepreneurs. Her experience as an event planner has further polished her proficiency in project management, negotiation, and strategic planning, contributing lived advice to the museum.
Mystique Latese's in-depth insights, unwavering commitment, and hands-on approach have been pivotal in carving the Couture Pattern Museum's forward trajectory.
Stephanie Mendes McComb
Community Ambassador, Digital Community Moderator & Founding Member
Stephanie Mendes McComb is a founding member of the Couture Pattern Museum and is a fashion entrepreneur, educator, and expert sewist. She teaches couture sewing at the Portland Fashion Institute. Stephanie holds degrees in Fashion Merchandising from the University of Rhode Island and eMarketing from Franklin University, and studied at London College of Fashion with a focus on millinery and fashion illustration.
Stephanie has worked in the corporate offices of Talbots, Columbia Sportswear, and Value City, and now runs her own brand, Love Stephanie Apparel. She is a member of the Association of Sewing and Design Professionals.
At the Couture Pattern Museum, Stephanie volunteers as a Community Ambassador and Digital Community Moderator.
Povilas Zaleskis
Digital Fashion Designer & Creator, Clo3D Sponsor
Povilas Zaleskis is a Luxembourg-based Digital Fashion Designer, Creator, and Clo3D Sponsor at the Couture Pattern Museum. With a foundation in traditional bespoke tailoring, he excels in blending classic design with digital techniques, using Clo3D software to craft stunning digital renditions of couture.
His digital reconstructions from the James Galanos collection displayed during the Tribute Exhibition in Santa Barbara, highlighted the complexity, beauty, and ingenuity of design processes, bridging historical fashion heritage with contemporary digital craftsmanship.
Povilas supports the museum's mission using his talent by assisting the Couture Pattern Museum to merge fashion's rich history with its digital future. Explore Povilas's innovative designs and historical digital projects at www.biascutwoman.studio and on Instagram @biascutwoman.
Creative Visions Foundation
California Fiscal Sponsor, a non-profit 501(c)(3)
Couture Pattern Museum (CPM) is privileged to be a sponsored project of the Creative Visions Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) that supports creative activists, those that use the arts and media to ignite social change. As our local California fiscal sponsor, Creative Visions' mission aligns seamlessly with our own.
Our partnership with Creative Visions is built on shared values of creativity, inclusivity, and social change. Their support extends beyond fiscal sponsorship, offering critical fundraising and grant assistance. This enables CPM to expand its donor base and generate the necessary financial support for our preservation and educational initiatives. We are honored to be part of the Creative Visions family and look forward to continuing our joint endeavor to reshape the fashion and museum landscape.