A couple years after leaving her Wall Street job, Ridgewood resident MarySue Dwyer started making women’s ribbon belts in her basement. Since then, her business has consistently grown into a broader fashion empire. BeRibbon now is a wholesaler to boutique stores across the country, along with its own retail e-commerce site, selling nationwide.

MarySue tells me about her unique approach combining art and business, how she sources her unique materials and design patterns, and how she’s kept up with changes in both fashion trends and the retail business.

We talk about the benefits of partnering with Etsy to run her online retail business, and the surprising demand increase that came about due to the pandemic.