Tied Up & Stoned

Isabel Mendlen

Fashion designer and assistant product manager in Boston, working from heated-glove prototypes to runway looks to rhinestones set by hand, one crystal at a time.

See the work Email Isabel
Model in a green floral romper and white boots on the runwayRunway and finished garments Kimber Cross's finished glove set: navy mitts with an orange diamond and lightning-bolt appliquéSoliyarn Platform heel completely covered in multicolor rhinestonesCustom rhinestone work Illustrated lineup of six looks in a forest settingInto the Whimsical Woods Isabel holding up a large multicolor granny-square blanketCrochet and knit The Witching Hour Fall 2023 board with a black cat and red rosesMood boards

Selected work

Kimber Cross's finished glove set: navy mitts with an orange diamond and lightning-bolt appliqué Isabel taking a plaster mold of Kimber's hand Olive heated cuff with a power button on the back of the hand

Soliyarn: heated gloves and smart textiles

The headline project was a custom heated glove for Kimber Cross, an alpinist, adaptive athlete and kindergarten teacher born without her right hand. I flew out to meet her, took molds and measurements of her limb, sketched the concept and built the glove set around her climbing.

  • Designed layouts for heating panels and power routing that keep the glove comfortable and flexible.
  • Placed sensors and connectors so the electronics stay out of the way of fit and movement.
  • Chose substrates and coatings for durability, breathability and hand, and joined prototype testing cycles.
Read the Soliyarn project
Model in a green floral romper and white boots on the runway

Runway and finished garments

Finished looks from the runway: patchwork, appliqué and rhinestone work.

32 pieces
Illustrated lineup of six looks in a forest setting

Into the Whimsical Woods

Fall 2024 collection: mood, fabrics, prints and line sheets.

7 pieces
Sequin mesh crop tops and A-line skirts

Fashion flats and illustration

Technical flats and illustrated collections, from Pop Art Couture to Stylish in Seattle.

25 pieces
Platform heel completely covered in multicolor rhinestones

Custom rhinestone work

Hand-set rhinestones on heels, sneakers, tumblers and jackets.

18 pieces
Isabel holding up a large multicolor granny-square blanket

Crochet and knit

Granny-square blankets, a crochet crop top and chunky knits.

17 pieces
Kaleidoscopic Cashmere Fall 2025 board with black cats and a guitar

Mood boards

Seasonal mood, color and texture boards, 2022 to 2025.

14 pieces
Portrait of Isabel Mendlen

Hello, I'm Isabel

I'm a Boston-based fashion designer from Seattle with a focus on sweater design and textile science. I love finding new ways to make fashion more sustainable through embellishment, embroidery and patchwork, while designing products that fit current trends and everyday needs.

Today I'm an assistant product manager at Habitat Clothes To Live In. Before that I was a production development assistant at Coldwater Creek and a fashion design intern at Soliyarn. I studied fashion design and production at Lasell University.

  • Textile science
  • Smart textiles
  • Trims and embellishment
  • Stretch knits
  • Rhinestone work
  • Crochet and knitting
  • Fashion illustration
View my résuméDownload PDF
Tied Up & Stoned Designs logo: a gumball machine with a diamondTied Up & Stoned Designs is the name I make and sell my work under.

Let's make something

I'm open to freelance design, consulting, small-batch production, R&D partnerships and custom rhinestone work. Email is the fastest way to reach me.

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