…………..The beginning of the road……We often ask ourselves as we move through life….”where have all the years gone?” It’s been many many years since this picture was taken, and I’m grateful that pictures like this exist to help me remember parts of my life that I would never have thought about…..that have escaped me….This is a picture of Donna and myself after one of our early shows taking our bows. It must have been in the mid 70s, and we were in our mid 20s. In those days shows weren’t the elaborate affairs they were in the 80s, and we did them in the show room as everyone else did. This was the old Anne Klein showroom with the white stucco walls that Anne Klein designed and had built. It was on the third floor, and part of the entire floor that housed the AK business at 205 West 39th Street. We had four floors in that building. The model in the back is Betty Gill. A raven haired beauty with ice blue eyes. She was our “House Model” and we fit the collection on her. She worked for us every day. A model named Peggy Butler was our regular fitting model, but she worked for other designers too, so Betty was always there for us to fit on if we needed her……..She was a sweet heart. I have wondered over the years what happened to her……As you can see I was a smoker then….we both were. It took many years before I was able to break that horrible habit………Those were the GOLDEN DAYS of SPORTSWEAR……and we were the “New Kids on the block”….as Bill Cunningham used to call us……….It amazes me how times have changed….how the business of fashion has changed….how the world has changed…………….unfortunately not for the better…….I am glad I lived during those glory days.
Is Ms Karan still alive? If so do you ever see her?
Yes, Donna is still alive, but I never see her….not for years.
What a GREAT photograph! Mr. COOL!!! You and Ms. Karan had the world by the tail……and we ladies were all the better for it.👗👠👛⭐️⭐️