Mayfair Dress Company, circa 1930s. Grandmom Viola is second from left. From an early age I was fascinated by fabrics, the way their colours and textures would combine to play their magic and become a groovy new costume for that summer's local block dance on Friday nights.
Most of the women in my family were garment workers. My aunts sewed piecework for Judy Bond Blouses, my grandmother was a presser for Mayfair Dress Company. Trips to the factories were my first education in clothing design, and were as eagerly anticipated as the brown grocery bags of fabric scraps perfect for creating *safety pin* Barbie couture. Though they, and the factories, have passed on, the memories created through their experiences and stories are forever engraved in my soul.
My design career began at age 13 with stints as a fit model for local boutiques to earn clothing discounts. Continuously seeking new opportunities, my budding entrepreneurial spirit led me to be chosen one of 75 students who embarked to Lucerne, Switzerland for the inaugural launch of the American Fashion College, graduating in 1973 with an Associates of Arts in Fashion. In 1974 I took flight to Paris where I covered the Prêt-à-Porter for The Home News. While dressmaking on the side, I spent the next 10 years developing my fashion eye