Designer

……………………….You all know how much I love knits and sweaters………..I learned everything I know about sweaters from working in the Italian sweater factories from the age of 20. I worked with a wonderful young woman named Giovanna Pestelli Ciampini….She suggested when she was in NYC to my boss at the time Alan Duddle, that I come back to Italy with here to develop the sweaters for the Giorgini Collection. Giorgini was a division of Originala, and this was the first design job I had. Allan took a big chance on this young man with very little experience. He agreed to let me go, and that was my first trip to Italy……I worked with Giovanna for the three years I designed the Giorgini line. When I went to Anne Klein I worked with Giovanna from my the very first collection, and our relationship continued for 20 more years. At the time the AK company was making their sweaters in a single factory in Brooklyn using one yarn!!! I opened up the world of knitwear to the company…..Knits became a major part, and a big money maker for the AK collection…….Again, I would spend two weeks working with Giovanna in Italy…Her office was in an ancient building on Via de’ Tornabuoni, near the Ferragamo shop and directly in front of the Egyptian obelisk….The tiny elevator in the building was added in modern times, but could only hold three people tightly. We only took it when Marcello, Giovanna’s husband, was with us. He would walk the four flights and we took the elevator. We did this just in case the elevator got stuck, and he would be on the outside to get help. More times than not we also walked the stairs!! The first week we worked in her office in the center of Florence, Italy. The first week was about designing the collection and seeing yarn companies. I did many sketches and brought them with me….but….when I started to see the yarn companies with their wonderful samples [we had appointments in the office every hour and 1/2], I started anew. I would make selections of yarns and go to work. Sometimes the sketches I brought fit right in with the yarns I saw and sometimes the yarns were so fabulous they needed new designs…..which I did in the office or in my hotel room in the evening after ordering room service at the Principe Savoir. A car and driver would pick us up at 6:00am to take us to the different factories that we selected would best make the samples. Some were across Italy and it would take three hours plus to get there. They would also show us new things they were working on, and if I thought they would work in the collection I would incorporate them. I always had to redesign them, because they usually weren’t right for the American woman as they were………Giovanna’s family became my family, and she is like a sister to me. She lives in the hills overlooking Florence…..a magnificent view of Florence….While I worked with her she had two beautiful sons, Lorenzo and Leonardo, who are now married with children of their own…Her husband Marcello, taught me every DIRTY Italian word I know…..I love him!!!! When she would catch him teaching me this colorful vocabulary…..she would exclaim…..MARCELLO!!!! Somehow it all sounds better in Italian!…….Unfortunately, I haven’t seen her in years. Jac and I were always going to Florence to visit, but it didn’t happen…. Thank goodness for e-mails…She sends pictures of the family, and we can keep in touch…We still hope to meet again in beautiful Florence……The sweater dress and matching cardigan above was one of the sketches I brought with me. It was in a fine Merino wool……..The Bucket Bag in woven leather was part of my shoe and bag collection all made in Italy. ALL of the Anne Klein jewelry was made in the USA in factories in RI. and Mass. For the 20 years I worked at AK the collections were either made in the US or Italy.

…………………….Every year when the 4th of July comes I always have the same thoughts…..”maybe I’ll go into the city and see the Macy’s Fireworks”……but I never go. I’ve seen it a few times when Jac and I lived in the city, and I guess that will do. When we moved out of NY every year Jac and I watched the fireworks on TV. I guess that’s what I’ll do this year. Every year I say, “I’m going to have my yearly hot dog”, but this year I’m skipping it. Trying to loose some lbs. before my trip to Africa……Every year I think after the 4th “the summer is on its’ way out” even though it’s just begun. The days seem to fly by, and before you know it it’s September…….Every year I think “this is the greatest country in the world”. With the way this country has changed in ways I never thought….I pray that in all the years to come I’ll be able to say that this is still the greatest country in the world!…………..Happy 4th of July everyone!!!!!!!

……………………..The DIAMOND THEME continued with a crepe dress and a single button jacket. Again, all of the shaping was done with the bias seams of the diamonds only. The diamonds also brought your eye towards the center which was very figure flattering…………………Doesn’t Giselle have a marvelous SMILE! It really was her personality………and her sweet French accent….OH LA LA!

…………………These Geometric pieces were a true challenge……….They looked so simple but every seam was responsible for the fit of the jacket. We made many muslin jackets to get the lines and fit just right before we cut it in the fabric. There were no additional seams or darts. Everything had to be precision….razor sharp!!….That was all achieved with only the seams of the diamond……Again, the gold ball zipper pull became a signature of these jackets. The black resin Door Knocker earrings also became an important accessory. For me, the RED TROUSERS made the look runway.

……………………..The STRIPED WOOL CREPE TOPPER in BLACK and WHITE over a Red sweater and Red Crepe pants…….made a strong statement……..The addition of the Anne Klein STRIPED SHOES was the icing on the cake! They were pieced together leather. Working with Andrea Pfister, by this time was symbiotic. We had worked together for 16 years of my 20 years at AK. We worked very close on creating the shoe collection. I would send him the colors and fabric swatches of the collection and sketches of my ideas of what I envisioned of both the clothes and shoes….anything to get his creative juices flowing!…Due to when the shoe collection had to open, and my availability to spend two weeks in Positano working with Andrea, the shoes were developed well before the clothes! I had to do a lot of pre-planning on what the collection would be. I could always add some styles later if it was absolutely necessary or a brilliant idea happened. We could always rush new samples through……The crepe coat was perfectly matched all the way around….including the lining!…….Giselle above, was a fantastic French model….. She wasn’t beautiful as the Super Models were, but she had an incredible look, an infectious smile, a wonderful figure, and could move like very few could. Designers loved her and she was booked by many to do looks on, and of course all of the shows…..When a designer did looks on her she brought the clothes to life because of her animation, and the way she understood the clothes and how they should move………She was inspiring……It was just second nature for her to STRIKE A POSE!…………………VISUAL EXCITEMENT!!!!