Hello 👋🏻
My mom is from Spain & my dad from Germany. I’m 1st generation American & grew up in Washington DC in a home full of love & logic. My parents worked hard providing me with opportunities to succeed. I mostly remember helping around the house that included setting the table for dinner, being assigned trash duty and washing the dishes. I also made some pocket money mowing lawns during the summer around the neighborhood. At times, I also wanted to be a Jedi Knight. ☺️
The 80s
Attending an all boys Catholic High School wasn’t all that bad. I did my best to excel in all subject matters. What interested me most was math & art. My art teacher encouraged me to pursue art school after graduation. During these years I also attended the (now closed) Corcoran School of Art & Design in Washington D.C.
I often visited the National Gallery of Art & Portrait Galleries. I’d bring along my sketch pad / notebook to draw what I saw. Some of my early inspiration and influence came from artists that included Rembrandt, Degas, Dali & Van Gogh
(see below)
Some of my 1st “fashion” design sketches 🤣
The 90s
After attending both fashion design & business schools I found my first opportunity in the fashion industry working for Isaac Mizrahi. It was a lot of fun working in production. Manhattan was also growing into a creative capital with many art galleries popping up in neighborhoods like Soho & Chelsea. Isaac Mizrahi decided to close the ISAAC “bridge” line & focused on his designer collection before he eventually decided to go Television. I think he is selling his approachable apparel collections on QVC television at time of this writing. I like many were laid off from Isaac Mizrahi.
It was around 1999 when I decided to take a break from fashion & explore opportunities working on Wall Street. I figured that is where the money is that I can earn to fund my own fashion label. I began working for Bank of America as a licensed stock broker in 2000. It was during this time that I established my namesake designer brand. Most of my pay checks went to designing and making my first garments.
The early 2000s
Art x Commerce
I was excited having found a balance between night & day. I was designing, developing and sourcing while trading stocks, mutual funds & options. The time felt right to continue developing my womenswear brand & finding a way to somehow present & share my collections during New York Fashion Week. The date was set for September 10th, 2001. It was a success presenting my 1st collection at Bryant Park, NYC to a full audience of industry professionals in full attendance. We held an after party, we celebrated with friends and family. Everything changed September 11th, 2001
2001-2005
I continued to design & develop Spring & Fall collections presenting them at the renowned Plaza Hotel & also at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. I’m grateful to the support of individuals & corporate sponsors alike that included collaborations with Porsche Cars, L'Oréal and The Fairmont Hotel group.
2005 - 2007
I was laid off at Bank of America in 2005 & took a gamble by moving to Paris, France. It was made better because Fiona (my pet cat) came along for the journey. Fiona was found in Brooklyn & became my permanent BFF a couple years before I made the move to Europe. It was a great moment making new friends. I learned quite a bit exploring Haute Couture & tailoring. I also enjoyed watching the Tour De France (professional cycling) IRL & fresh 🥖 🇫🇷 Joie de vivre!
more info soon…