Founder of Pegeen.com goes through the company's history

Meet the Designer, Marg Hyland, Over 40 Years of History

Mother, Wife, Designer, Businesswoman & new Grandmom. Marg Hyland wears all these hats and is constantly juggling the order in which she wears them. In an increasingly hectic and competitive world, this energetic woman has her priorities in order. She is handling the challenges of bringing in to the company her adult children along side her husband, managing their designer clothing business and giving lectures and offering advice and ideas for her "other family", her customers with whom she speaks every day.

An Innovative Businesswoman, Marg Makes Online Shopping A Snap for Her Customers

In 1982, Marg Hyland, armed with a master's degree in Dance and Theatre Design, ventured into the world of fashion by establishing Pegeen Luxury Childrenswear. Her initial designs quickly gained recognition, finding their way into prestigious stores such as Nordstrom's and Saks Fifth Avenue, as well as various independent children's boutiques. However, it was during the process of outfitting her own children's attendants for her wedding that Marg identified a gap in the market for elegantly styled children's wear. Seizing the opportunity, she created her first dresses and a ring bearer suit, with the standout dress from her inaugural wedding collection even gracing the pages of Parade Magazine alongside Richard Dreyfuss and his daughter. This marked the inception of Pegeen Luxury Bridal Wear for Children, propelling the brand into the limelight and securing placement in 1900 exclusive boutiques worldwide.

In 1994, ahead of the curve in the burgeoning era of the internet, Marg and her team launched their website, becoming one of the pioneering 50,000 websites at the time. Embracing the world of e-commerce early on, Pegeen stood out as the first in children's apparel, particularly specializing in children's bridal wear. Recognizing the potential of online retail, the company transitioned exclusively to the digital realm, expanding its offerings to include Nutcracker costumes and ballet attire. Marg's commitment to adapting with the times and harnessing technology has allowed Pegeen to maintain a cutting-edge presence in the industry.

Marg has seen markets and fashions change, companies, magazines, trade shows, colors and styles come and go, and her customers benefit from her experience. Mothers and Brides-to-Be often call and ask for advice and Marg is all to happy to oblige. Pegeen.com has their phones on from 9am until 10pm and, if they are out of the office or when Marg is with her family, they forward all calls to someone's cell phone who can answer the calls. Sometimes she can be found in the strangest of places, like on a Roller Coaster (Pegeen is just 2 miles from Disney World after all) or at the zoo, answering her phone in one ear while looking it up on her iPhone in the other hand. Technology has made it easier to run the company with extended hours around her employee's families, a fact that has customers who are also working mothers applauding and often green with good-natured envy. Her commitment to customer service is such that she will spend as much time on the phone as an anxious customer needs, including helping them to navigate their computer because they are novice users.

The company's employees benefit from the tradition of a term coined by one of her children, called "MON-FRIES" which means that Pegeen has a flexible work schedule in the summers so that they can work longer days in the middle of the week, allowing Mondays or Fridays time with their families. "We are a family run business with family friendly schedules because, afterall, we work in the children's business", Hyland is quoted as saying.

Pegeen.com, with its tagline "We Care About Your Day," embodies Marg's personal approach to customer service. The company offers a unique "try-on" bodice for plus-sized children, ensuring a guaranteed fit based on the child's measurements before the actual dress is crafted. With over 260 in-stock silk colors, Pegeen provides fabric swatches to facilitate the selection process. Marg's creativity and industry experience make it effortless for brides to curate an exquisite look for the children in their wedding parties. This basic styling philosophy has served the company well for the past 40 years and will hopefully continue into the future. "We produce everything in our own factory here in the US and we are very proud of it. Our success rate is fantastic - we know it by the amount of referral and repeat business we do. Imagine, customers who were once wearing our dresses as flower girls themselves are now ordering for their children! " said Hyland.

In 2024, marking 42 years in the industry, Marg Hyland and her adept team, including talented art and technical directors, launched the latest Pegeen Dress Dreamer update using UNITY. This innovative feature allows customers to virtually "try on" the dresses they design directly on the website, further elevating the Pegeen experience, using 260 colors and mix and match bodices, skirts, sashes and trims to create a bride’s perfect children’s dress for their wedding before buying.