Mariel a la Mode grew up traveling in the circus with her family on Carson & Barnes and Franzen Bros. Circus and became a third generation performer as an aerialist in her family's show, The Reynolds Family Circus.

Her formative years were spent as a St. Louis University theatre student, an expat—singing in jazz clubs and studying at Ecole du Cirque Menival in Lyon, France, and as a performance artist in San Francisco and LA.

She began creating her own costumes as a child and honed her skills to enhance her performance aesthetic, with a preference towards an opulent, colorful palette and a nod to old school circus glamour. She currently lives in St. Louis with her two children and continues to collaborate on multi-disciplinary projects.