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.
She is a Professional Member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), headquartered in Paris within its COSTUME International Committee. Her membership followed a six month review of the museum's work and is recognized for its contribution to preserving rare couture patterns as part of international dress and textile heritage.
Cara 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, whose legacy is closely associated with maisons like Dior, Chanel, Balenciaga, and Givenchy. This training connects the museum's research to the technical traditions of haute couture.
Prior to founding the museum, Cara built a career spanning finance, actuarial consulting, and healthcare. She held positions with UBS, MetLife National Accounts, and City National Bank, where she worked with Fortune 100 companies. She later completed postgraduate training at the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences. These experiences shaped the analytical and technical approach she now applies to historical dressmaking, archival research, and the preservation of couture patterns as technical and historical documents.
Cara founded the Couture Pattern Museum during the COVID-19 pandemic after years of collecting and researching licensed couture patterns. Today, she works with heritage ateliers, educators, and fashion professionals to advance scholarship surrounding couture design transmission.
The museum has been developed entirely through her vision, research, and curatorial work, without major institutional funding.
Cara continues to serve as a volunteer, with all funding from memberships, tours, and donations going towards the museum's preservation and education initiatives.
RJ Rademaker
Director of Operations and Strategic Planning
RJ Rademaker is the Director of Operations and Strategic Planning at the Couture Pattern Museum. RJ is a former partner and practice group head at the multi-national 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 representing and 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
Small Business Women of Color Mentor & Advisor
Since its inception, Mystique Latese, has been the museum's start-up advisor and mentor. Mystique's leadership has been integral to pushing the museum's forward-thinking initiatives from idea to reality, helping the museum navigate the unique and regional challenges of the central coast of California.
As the founder of WOC Owned, Mystique is committed to inclusive entrepreneurship, and she has created a platform dedicated to bolstering Black and Brown women entrepreneurs. Her experience as an event planner and small business owner has further polished her proficiency in project management, negotiation, and strategic planning by contributing lived advice to the museum.
Mystique Latese remains a volunteer at the museum and provides in-depth insights with her unwavering commitment, which 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.