D.C. lawyer makes her trademark on fashion

In the fall of 2002, Mariessa Terrell sat on the curb of her former office building dumbfounded at the loss of a job she had grown to love for over three years. She had been a young lawyer for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Virginia.Her mind wandered to a recent article she had read in The Washington Post lamenting that butterflies had disappeared from the D.C. area.

Then out of nowhere, a beautiful monarch butterfly fluttered up to and circled around her.

"The butterfly hovered and fluttered and at times even perched on my leg," she said. "It stayed with me for the 30 minutes while I sat on that curb."

For months, Terrell would continue to have encounters with monarchs, notwithstanding the Post's claim of absence of butterflies in the Greater Washington area. Those butterflies became the catalyst of the new company, Simone's Butterfly at 3422 Brown St., NW. It's a legal services company Terrell operates right out of Apartment 202, her residence.

"Simone comes from jazz musician great, Nina Simone," said Terrell. "I grew up listening to her music and I have always been a fan." Just as she influenced the creative minds of such greats as Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill, Terrell got inspiration from Nina Simone in naming her company Simone Butterfly.

"Butterfly comes from my 2002 butterfly sightings all around D.C.," Terrell said. Simone's Butterfly works with companies on everything from brand, trademarks, copyright and contracts.

But Terrell also has another love - fashion. Growing up in Southeast D.C., Terrell has always been fascinated by the city's diverse styles.

"D.C. really has a little bit of everything: punk, go-go, Embassy Row, Little Ethiopia, accountants, lawyers, hipsters, local government workers, Maryland and Virginia travelers," she said. "Each group has a unique style, not better or worse, but unique. I was always impressed with the diverse styles of Washington, D.C."

Terrell sees her interests in law and fashion as complimentary. "Growing up with my mom, I learned a real appreciation for beautiful things," she said. "I learned how to barter and bargain and to go after big labels in a creative way. I think that helped me get into trademark because the thing with trademark and licensing is that you have to have an eye already as far as quality."

What Terrell would love most is to see Washington, yes Washington DC, become a fashion destination - just like New York, Parris or Miami.

That passion led her in 2006 to start an intense lobbying campaign to get the D.C. City Council to pass a law to transform the city's image of just a center of politics into a premier center of fashion as well.

That effort ended in Mayor Adrian Fenty signing D.C. Fashion Bill 17-173 into law on April 15, 2008. The law also mandated establishment of a DC Fashion Commission to showcase local fashion talents and promote various retailers in the D.C. area while generating revenue for the city.

"Fashion is a true art form that takes enormous time to perfect," she said. Terrell said there is real economic power in fashion, but decries the scarcity of African Americans in the mainstream fashion industry.

"I believe that it is very unfortunate that the majority of mainstream fashion does not include African-American models," said Terrell. "Last year when Italian Vogue created a Black issue featuring the most beautiful women of color in the fashion business, I started a campaign and sent in over 300 postcards to Anna Wintour asking her to include more African Americans in Vogue."

"I think that it is up to the consumer to change fashion to accommodate our likes and dislikes. Today, the consumer has power. We can impact change ourselves,"said Terrell.

In June, Terrell hosted the 5th Annual Capital Catwalk showcasing the talents of local designers. The Catwalk benefited the High Tea Society, a program that mentors young girls. In addition to coordinating the Catwalk event, Terrell is working with the Office on Planning and Economic Development to further promote D.C. as a fashion destination and collaborating with University of District Columbia Merchandising Program Coordinator to revive the university's fashion program.

Terrell continues to make strides in ensuring that her business and love for fashion bring her even more success. "Smile darling, the view from here is fabulous" is the motto she lives by.