Her Story
About Margie
Margie Diawara is an accomplished fashion professional specializing in technical design, apparel development, and custom fashion. She currently serves as a Senior Technical Designer at nuuds, where she oversees key technical aspects of garment development, including sizing guides for e-commerce, technical specifications, pattern and measurement requirements, and detailed communication with overseas manufacturing partners. As a technical design professional, she combines creative vision with analytical precision to ensure that garments meet established standards for fit, construction, quality, and production. Her experience also includes technical design roles with The Golden Touch Group, Rare Editions, and Excel Apparel.
Alongside her professional career, Margie is the owner and Custom Fashion Designer of JVAL by Jordan Valois, an independent couture fashion business she has operated for more than a decade. Through JVAL, she designs and creates fully customized garments for private clients, managing the process from initial concept through final construction. Her work particularly emphasizes the needs of plus-size and full-figured women, reflecting her commitment to thoughtful design, individualized fit, and confidence through fashion. She holds an Associate of Arts and Sciences in Fashion/Apparel Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she further developed her creative and technical capabilities.
Originally from New York City, Margie developed her passion for fashion through both formal education and hands-on experience. She is inspired by creativity, resourcefulness, and the ability to transform an idea into something tangible. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys gardening, spending time in nature, and supporting conservation, interests that reflect her appreciation for creativity, sustainability, and the natural environment. She also stays connected to the fashion industry by following Women's Wear Daily and keeping informed about developments and trends across the apparel sector. Guided by honesty, perseverance, doing the most good, and trusting her instincts, Margie encourages young women entering the fashion industry to prioritize their own goals, believe in their abilities, and avoid allowing external validation to define their professional success.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Margie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my mother. She was definitely a person that showed me that if something is not there, you can create it. Like she just she was the queen of create something out of nothing, and I think that that just stuck with me throughout my childhood. Like before I even realized that's what it was. But as an adult thinking back on like the times that we had as children and you know how we quite literally created something out of nothing it was just always so inspiring how my mom's spirit never broke it never wavered.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is from one of my professors at FIT who told me to think bigger. It really just stuck with me and it fueled my rebellious spirit and it just made me know that anything is possible and if you don't see it you can create it.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice would be to listen to yourself before you listen to others. And make sure what you want is what you want for yourself and you're not trying to prove anything to anyone else. To just persevere like there's always someone that's gonna tell you no but as long as you tell you yes that's all that matters.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
My biggest challenge in my field is keeping myself basically focused on one thing at a time. It's such a fast-paced world like the fashion world in general. It's like okay like remember to finish this before you start this. As an order like order things in the level of importance that would have the most impact.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values I think is most important to me in both of those aspects are to just do the most good and create something that you would want. Don't shortchange people don't try to get over on people. Be honest with yourself and it will reflect outward.
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