The Bee's Knees: Bespoke Tailoring Brings Age-Old Craftsmanship to Erie

Jessica Hunter

Barbie Harkins, right, a Mercyhurst University's fashion merchandising program grad and partner Mitch Yaple are bringing a custom tailoring business to Downtown Erie featuring alteration services and vintage and thrifted items nestled in a Masonic Temple storefront.

A true art form never goes out of style, and a new venture in Erie looks to prove that. Young couple Barbie Harkins and Mitch Yaple are opening Bespoke Tailoring this holiday season to provide high-quality services and clothing that doesn't burn a hole in your pocket.

The two busy bees will open their doors in the Masonic Temple on West Eighth Street downtown.

Bespoke Tailoring will include formal menswear alterations, custom suiting, vintage clothing, and more. Harkins, 25, landed on the tailoring scene in Erie after graduating from Mercyhurst University's fashion merchandising program in 2018 and apprenticing as a tailor at Isaac Baker Tailoring. She gained attention during the pandemic when she began posting her creations to Instagram and TikTok, including crocheted work and dresses made from recycled fabric and thrifted jeans. People began recognizing her when visiting Primo Tailoring, where she did alterations. "I feel like that was one of the first times that I thought, 'maybe I'm a little bit good at what I do'" Harkins said modestly.

Yaple, 23, entered the picture in 2023. Yaple's strong suit is thrifting and styling; he's been into fashion ever since he was old enough to shop at Salvation Army with his mother. When they first started dating, Harkins enjoyed when Yaple would thrift pants and bring them in for Harkins to alter before going out to dinner. "That was the most fun because we could play around with different hem lengths and what he could style stuff with," Harkins said. "I used to go thrifting by myself and be like, 'This would be so much more fun with a boyfriend.' Then I got one."

The two attended a menswear exhibition in Chicago this summer in preparation for Bespoke's opening. Their main priority is high-quality yet affordable clothing. As a tailor, Harkins noted the traditional career paths are to work in a tailoring shop or open a shop. She thought there was enough demand in Erie to open a shop. Bespoke Tailoring will be special in that it offers women's alterations in addition to men's, so clients can bring their wedding dresses or women's formalwear into the shop.

As Erie County natives, Yaple and Harkins know and see their clients regularly. As economic hardships strain a lot of families, it became a priority to them to give people the best value. "I think it should be attainable for everyone, so I want to make it so that everyone can afford to look good," Harkins said. "Nobody likes getting ripped off. It doesn't matter how much money you have," Yaple added.

As for the name, Harkins said her side work kept building and multiple people told her she should open a shop and name it Bespoke, which means specially made for someone. The logo depicts a bee holding a needle and was designed by Erie native and graphic designer Moira Dieteman. "I love a logo where the mascot is doing something a little silly," Harkins said, smiling.

Co-owner of Bespoke Tailoring, Barbie Harkins knew from an early age that fashion was her passion. A fan of shows like Project Runway, she created this dress made of newspapers when she was a teenager. (Photo: Contributed)

Yaple picked the location, which he said was a fitting choice. He recalled seeing the corner store empty for most of his lifetime and wanted to revive the space. "It's exciting to bring new life into it, honestly," Yaple said. "It kind of just ties in nicely with what we do — it fits our style a lot because we're into vintage." The Masonic Temple is on the National Register of Historic Places after being built in 1909 in a Renaissance Italian style with marble corridors and intricate woodwork. While making design choices, the two wanted to create a cozy, old-fashioned, Wes Anderson-esque atmosphere that welcomes guests.

"In the past few years, anytime somewhere gets renovated, it's just gray like all the life is sucked out of it. We want colors in there," Yaple said.

They also hope to bring in products from other small businesses in the future. Yaple is a reformed fast-fashion buyer and wants to help others create a wardrobe with higher-quality fabrics that are more sustainable. They encourage bringing in vintage pieces to be reworked and tailored to give them as long of a lifetime as possible. "Everybody uses [online fast fashion retailers] Temu and Shein, and has seen the shortcomings of it and where it's being manufactured," Yaple said, mentioning that he rarely buys anything new anymore.

The two categorize their styles as preppy-adjacent which makes use of timeless pieces. "I feel like I'll watch what's trending and see where it would fit into my own style," Harkins said. Growing up, Harkins said she was inspired by fashion designers on television. "When I was a child, I watched Project Runway, like the OG Project Runway," she said, noting Christian Siriano was her favorite. In high school, she created a dress made from newspaper, showcasing her skills at an early age.

And although the two young business owners are known for their sense of style and witty humor, they don't want to be taken lightly. They're here to roll up their sleeves and get down to business. "I don't want anybody to leave feeling like we didn't hook them up. It needs to fit perfectly before you go out the door, we're not trying to half-ass it," Yaple said. "I want them to feel like they can trust us — that they're getting a fair exchange."

Sticking to the Bespoke name, the duo wants clients to have an experience rather than just a piece of clothing. Suits are crafted using the exact measurements and preferences of an individual, and part of honoring a tailor's craftsmanship includes fittings until someone is satisfied and dressed to kill. Harkins said that no matter what size, shape, age, or gender someone is, the feeling of having something that fits perfectly is unrivaled. Seeing someone confidently wearing a piece of clothing she altered drives her work, and she hopes to continue expanding that presence for years to come.

You can find Bespoke Tailoring on Facebook or Instagram at @bespoke_erie

Chloe Forbes is a local journalist. Reach her at chloeforbes14@gmail.com.