Marissa Jacobe was an early entrepreneur, running her first fashion design business in grade school. "I sold one-of-a-kind paper doll outfits to my schoolmates...I was never lacking chocolate money!" Today, she designs for her label, Modistasf.

Marissa was born in Manila, Philippines, but she was raised in the Twin Cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. She has lived most of her adult life in Los Angeles and San Francisco, California. She considers herself a San Franciscan from the Noe Valley/Mission District area of the city. Recently, she moved to Los Angeles for work purposes.

One of Marissa's greatest accomplishments has been having her clothes marketed and sold through word of mouth. "Fashion, to me, is a reflection of one's lifestyle and sense of identity. My clothing line represents my West Coast lifestyle and urban versatile sense of identity: work to party, beach to work, party to you name it..."

Her favorite designers are "Coco Chanel, for her determination and business sense, Yohji Yamamoto, for his innovation and creativity, and Donna Karan, for her timeless urban look." Marissa draws design inspiration from her friends. "My clothing line is inspired and named after my BFFs! I love them!"

Marissa has learned to cope and work with pressures of her career. "The design/creative process is synonymous to stress, which is both harmful and rewarding at the same time.  I seem to thrive on a high stress level; I produce at my utmost best when I am under pressure."

 Seeing her original designs copied can be tough. "It's heartbreaking to see your designs being "knocked-off" and copied by big named, big box store designers who produced their lines overseas. My line is produced locally and made in the USA. I guess I just try to take getting knocked-off as a compliment."

When asked what advice she would offer to aspiring designers, Marissa answered, "As my sister would say, ‘Be a nurse’."

Marissa Jacobe is a featured UsTrendy designer. You will find her blogs and portfolio at: http://www.ustrendy.com/modistasf/.