Nancy Nano's first wedding dress house call was on Friday at 5 p.m. in Montauk. It wasn't her first wedding dress, but rather the first time she tried out a new Mercedes-Benz Sprint van custom-designed to take her tailoring operation directly to her customers.
Ms. Nano has run Nancy's Tailoring and Alterations out of a brick-and-mortar spot in Noyac since 2008, growing the business from one room in which she did everything herself to a larger space where she now employs six seamstresses. "They're the best," she said. And now, with her mobile tailoring van designed for her by the contractor Jhon Aysanoa, she is literally taking her business on the road.
The van has a small sitting area, a dressing room with a full-length mirror, and a work station for ironing and sewing, with dozens of spools of colorful thread on a wall. For an extra fee to cover the van overhead, Ms. Nano and a driver will visit clients at home along with two other assistants to take measurements and make alterations on site.
Ms. Nano does general tailoring and alterations, including leather work and cushion repairs, as well as wedding dresses and other more formal clothing.
As she did on Friday, Ms. Nano also supplies alteration services for members of the wedding party and guests. The bride had come to the shop on a different day to be measured in her dress, and Ms. Nano took the van on its maiden voyage to deliver the dress to her and help guests on site with any alterations they might need.
With the van now on the road, she is also considering expanding the service to the Palm Beach, Fla., area, where some of her clients spend the winters. She and an employee will drive down for six months, starting in October, to try it out.
Ms. Nano is overcome when she speaks of the metamorphosis in her work. "I never thought that in my life I could be the way I am now."
