Meet Arielle Di Leo

We were lucky to catch up with Arielle Di Leo recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Arielle, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

My resilience comes from a mix of my background and values. Growing up as a ballet dancer, I learned early on what discipline and persistence look like – showing up every day, even when it hurts, even when it isn’t perfect. That carried into my career as a Fashion Buyer and now as a Founder, where there’s always a new problem to solve and no clear roadmap. What keeps me steady is remembering why I’m doing this – building something that makes the arts more accessible, more sustainable, and more community-driven. When I connect back to that purpose, it gives me the strength to push through challenges.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m Arielle – a former ballet dancer turned fashion buyer turned founder. I’ve worked in the retail and apparel space for nearly a decade, but my heart has always belonged to the arts. Loop Costumes brings together my love for performance, my experience in fashion, and my deep belief that beautiful things should be shared, not shelved.

This marketplace is built is for the community I grew up in, where dancers and families often face high costs and many costumes are worn just once before being tucked or thrown away. Loop addresses this “one-and-done” problem by embracing circular fashion, giving costumes a second life while keeping dance accessible, sustainable, and rooted in community. Since our recent launch in September 2025, we’ve seen incredible traction, with families and studios across Canada and the U.S. joining in, listing their own costumes, and buying pre-loved.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, three things have been most impactful in my journey. First, discipline and perseverance; growing up as a ballet dancer taught me to show up, push through challenges, and keep going even when it’s hard. Second, curiosity and adaptability; working as a fashion buyer exposed me to fast-moving trends and complex problem-solving, and being willing to learn and pivot made all the difference. And third, empathy and community focus; understanding the people you’re serving and building with their needs in mind is what makes your work meaningful.

For anyone early in their journey, I’d say: develop small, consistent habits, stay curious and open to new experiences, and really listen to your community. Those three qualities feed into each other and create the resilience, insight, and purpose you need to grow.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

I definitely relate to this feeling – being a mom of two young boys while launching a business can feel very overwhelming! When that happens, I find taking a deep breath and zooming out really helps me regain perspective. Breaking tasks into small, manageable steps also makes them feel less daunting, and I try to focus on what I can control right now rather than everything at once.

I also reconnect with my purpose – remembering why I started the business and the community impact I want to create. This gives me energy and clarity. My advice for anyone feeling overwhelmed is simple: pause, breathe, zoom out, and tackle one thing at a time. It’s amazing how much momentum comes from just that small reset.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.loopcostumes.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loopcostumes/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arielle-di-leo/