About Michelle
Michelle Engel Bencsko, Design and Marketing Director. Michelle has spent her entire life dedicated to the pursuit of creative endeavors. While she obtained a BFA in Photography at Montclair State College, she almost immediately abandoned the idea of going into that industry. Instead, she found herself moving from one creative job to another until she unwittingly landed a humble position as a designer's assistant in a mens sleepwear and loungewear company. Within a few years and another company later, she found herself the Design Director for a prominent private label mens underwear company where she honed her design, merchandising and marketing skills. After about 15 years in the industry that she never intended to make a career, she left the big NYC job to pursue her own projects and have more time with her children. Through her independent company, Cicada Studio, she developed and produced home décor weight printed textiles in cotton/linen blends. It was also at this time that she began to license collections for Henry Glass & Co, specifically for the quilt market, which opened up an entirely new perspective of designing and outlet for her talents. As the success of her Cicada Studio collections grew, her need to produce on a larger scale became evident. Being Earth-friendly has always been important to Michelle. As she researched her options and refined her ideas for a collection, the notion to create a designer line of fabrics that bridged the gap of high-end organics and mass-consumerism took shape.
Michelle is extremely grateful for the opportunities that her experiences have given her. All of the support of her husband and two boys, and her family and friends has encouraged her entrepreneurial spirit. It is in this spirit, that she chooses to make a positive and ecologically concerned impact in the world and the market in which she's found herself most comfortable.
Learn more about Michelle's work, life and musings on her personal blog Cicada Daydream.
