From Sketch to Spotlight: Meet the Winning Designer

Every great dress begins with an idea, but bringing that idea to life takes vision, craft, and courage. This year’s dress design contest winner stood out for all three. In this interview, we sit down with the designer behind the winning look to talk inspiration, process, and what it means to see her design take center stage.

DJ: Tell me about yourself. What are some of your interests and hobbies? What does a typical day look like for you?

HL: My name is Hannah Letandre, and I am an Apostolic Pentecostal from Poplar River First Nation in Canada. My journey has been shaped by God’s grace, redemption, and His gentle leading throughout my life.

Though my early years were marked by instability, God faithfully intervened and placed my siblings and me into care that would ultimately lead us to a loving, permanent family. Through this season, I came to understand the depth of God’s protection and provision. As a teenager, I encountered the transforming power of Jesus. At fifteen, I was baptized and filled with the Holy Ghost, and from that moment, my life was forever changed. God brought healing, truth, and stability, and I remain grateful for the family and faith He has anchored me in today.

As I grew in my walk with God, He began shaping my heart - not only spiritually, but creatively. I developed a deep love for fashion and design, and as my desire for holiness grew, so did my passion for modesty. Wanting my outward appearance to reflect my faith, I taught myself how to sew, transforming clothing into pieces that aligned with my values while still expressing beauty and femininity.

In high school, I created my first maxi dress, and my love for modest fashion continued to flourish. Discovering Dainty Jewells affirmed something God had already been placing in my heart - that modesty can be both beautiful and intentional. To stay accountable and encourage others, I began sharing my journey through a modest fashion blog on Instagram called @butbygrace, which I continue to use as a space to inspire and uplift.

Over time, modesty became natural, creativity became worship, and pleasing the Lord became my greatest desire. If you met Hannah 10 years ago, you would call her a lost soul, a girl who didn’t know her way but I am grateful for the love of Jesus. He is no respecter of persons, and He loves all of us. He loves you!

Other than sewing, I also enjoy spending time with friends and family. I have been working in the childcare field for 11 years and strive to grow as an educator. On my free days, I enjoy sewing, reading and journaling.

DJ: How would you describe your personal style?

HL: My style is modest, feminine, bright, youthful, dainty, frilly and very sporadic. If I could wear formal dresses everyday, I would! I work in a daycare, so I choose to dress comfy yet in professional attire.

DJ: What was your inspiration behind this dress?

HL: When I was designing the Glimmering Grace dress, I aimed to put all my best effort into it and to make it stand out. I wanted to add in my favorite elements of timeless, elegant, modest, whimsical, vintage and feminine fashion. My goal was to create a very unique piece that suited the Dainty Jewells branding of formal dresses. I chose a maxi length dress because it brings out the fullness of all the details. Inspired by Apostolic ladies' fashion trends and online research, I drew the dress on paper making it my own design. I added details like ruffles, embroidery stitching, and sequins. It was exciting to choose a suitable fabric swatch for my design. It was fun getting the right dress pattern that can hold ruffles and tulle. I named it the “Glimmering Grace” because it symbolizes God's grace in my life, transforming my fashion dreams into modest designs.

Winning the contest was a surprise and a reminder of God's blessings. As reflected
in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (KJV). I'm grateful for His grace that makes me who I am today.

DJ: Tell us about some of your projects and if you often design your own pieces?

HL: My sewing journey began with transforming pants into denim skirts. From there, I crafted zipper cosmetic bags and hair scrunchies that helped raise funds for Move the Mission and Mothers' Memorial, all while keeping my ultimate goal in mind: utilizing my sewing talents for the Kingdom of God. As my products sold successfully, I progressed to creating more intricate projects like ladies' modest skirt slips and gathered skirts, many of which were sold at conferences. This success brought numerous orders and requests to design modest dresses in the coming years. Currently, I'm embracing my Indigenous heritage in Canada by designing meaningful ribbon skirts that spread God's light in my community. My small growing business is “KookumCo”. Through creating custom orders and my own pieces, I continually strive to improve my dress-making skills.

DJ: What was your reaction to finding out you won the Dainty Jewells dress design contest?

HL: It was a huge surprise. I remember praying before entering all of my designs into Dainty Jewell's contest and telling God to have His way. After my work shift, I opened up my phone and found it blowing up with messages from loved ones saying that I had won the Dainty Jewells contest. I was so happy, and it was a dream come true. It is a big honour and blessing to bring a modest Dainty Jewells dress to life, and for a good cause.

DJ: What is your favorite way to style this piece? Where do you plan to wear this?

HL: I recommend wearing your hair in an up-do and to wear the dress as it is. It's best to keep hair simple and tidy because the dress has a lot of details. Heels would be good since it is a maxi-length dress. I received this dress while at the North American Youth Congress and wore it to one of the evening services in Indiana. It was perfect for NAYC. I have also worn this dress to church services a few times. I'd say it would be perfect for Valentine's Day, photo shoots - it's beautiful for summer and springtime. If I could relive my high school graduation, I would wear this as a simple prom dress or fancy graduation dress. This dress also suits weddings and formal events well. It would look beautiful on bridesmaids and in engagement pictures! I plan to wear this dress to any formal gathering or special occasion.

DJ: What are your favorite dresses?

HL: I have been following Dainty Jewells for a long time and admired all the dresses over the years. I love how Dainty Jewells is so high quality, modest, vintage, and classy. Dainty Jewells forever has a special place in my heart and since I became a ‘modest girl". Their modest way of styling inspired me to dress more like a lady. I was never disappointed in any of the dresses that I purchased. If I can pick the top three favorites, it would be the Bella Bleu dress, Night in Paris dress and Walking in the Moonlight dress. 

DJ: What are your favorite things to do in spring?

HL: I enjoy going to the garden centre and being surrounded by flowers. I love reading books in my backyard with a cup of coffee. I like attending the annual Ladies' Conference and taking pictures of the sunsets. I love wearing floral dresses and skirts in this season. I am so excited to go fabric shopping for some pastel colors and floral fabrics for my next sewing projects!

To hear the rest of Hannah's testimony or follow along for more modest fashion, follow her on Instagram on @butbygrace_