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………………………This picture was taken in 1971…..This was taken on my birthday, and I had just turned 22 years old, and still had my baby fat face!!!!!! LOL…..I had just started working as a full fledged “designer” at a company called Giorgini. My very first designer job…Previously I had been a design assistant fresh out of Parsons School of Design…..Maurice Antaya [in the photo with me] worked right next door, literally. The doors to our offices were next to each other. He designed for a sister company named Ginori, which was a more moderate priced sportswear line. I was brought in to design this brand new division of a more expensive Designer Sportswear line…….Our friendship had a rough start. He didn’t like this young kid coming in and “sharing” HIS space. I think he felt a little threatened by this upstart, and he didn’t like that I was designing the NEW higher priced sportswear line….Eventually, we became fast friends, and he sort of took me under his wing and taught me the ropes…..I was a complete novice….the Long Island kid living in the BIG CITY….He took me to the trendy men’s boutiques in NYC to help me get a new wardrobe…..a 70’s wardrobe….He thought it was time I got out of the khakis, blue button downs and tan buck lace ups…..The funny thing is….when I started working at Anne Klein years later, I went back to my khakis, blue button downs and tan bucks……He arranged a birthday party for my 22nd birthday at the office…..Maurice was very crafty and made me the box with our picture on it, and gave it to me at the party…which I still have!……FIFTY PLUS YEARS later we are still best friends……..BBF……We have both been through a lot together over the years, both losing our life partners, and soul mates…..but we are keeping on keeping on……This year Maurice will be 86 years young.