I was raised in an environment of Strong Talented and Intelligent Women. I watched my Great Grandmother continue to sew her own garments into her 90’s. Both Grandmothers were highly educated and successful business women, as well as accomplished seamstresses. My own mother sewed our clothes as she completed her higher education. My first experiences with sewing consisted of creating fashions for my dolls. At the age of 7 I realized that if I wished a two-piece bathing suit, that my parents had forbidden, I would need to construct it myself. This was the beginning of my desire to follow my own voice and sense of fashion.