Designer Melissa Masse came up with an idea that was so simple, it was genius: custom-made clothing for everyday wear. After years of listening to frustrated friends and family failed attempts to find fashion forward, well-made, well-fitting apparel, she decided to take action.

"When my friends complained that they couldn't find anything in the stores that they liked, or more importantly, anything that fit them properly, I realized that they couldn't be the only customers who felt that way," explains Melissa, and she was right.

Opening an eponymous shop in Los Angeles, Melissa quickly dispelled the mystery that custom clothing is the impractical and exclusive domain of the rich and famous. Her collection, which includes everything from t-shirts to suiting, can be bought directly off the rack, altered to fit a customer's needs, or custom made to the client's specifications.

As a former designer with Donna Karan and Richard Tyler, Melissa's reputation quickly grew among high profile show business professionals, stylists and celebrities like Cameron Diaz and Charlize Theron, who flock to the store for her creations. As demand for her collection grew, and coveted Saturday appointments to meet with her personally had to be booked months in advance, Masse began offering ready-to-wear collections to select specialty stores around the nation. Since launching in 2002 Masse's wholesale business has expanded to cover over 60 retails stores nationwide including: Neiman Marcus; Bloomingdale's; Encore in Malibu, CA; Capra & Cavalli in Austin, TX; and Sigi's Boutique in La Jolla, CA.

Masse credits her success to the unique combination of custom tailoring and a self-described "sweet" style. "The collection is unique in Los Angeles. It has an East Coast sensibility that is hard to find here. While listening to the needs of our clientele, the store now functions as a laboratory for our wholesale business. If a style, silhouette or price point performs well for us here, we know it will work for other stores."

Having dressed her clients for everything from barbeques to boardrooms, requests for formal wear was not far behind and award season has become one of the designer's busiest times of year. "Whether you are a studio executive or a starlet, you want to look perfect, and you don't want to see anyone else in your dress. That is what we provide our clients."

In addition to the red carpet appearances, magazine editors and wardrobe stylists agree that Masse's collection is unique as it is regularly featured in magazines such as Lucky, Grace and Self Magazine, and on TV shows like Alias, Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill, Weeds, Desperate Housewives and Samantha Who?.