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Ever since I was a little child I’ve
had one idea; to be a famous artist and live in New York City.
I really had no other tangible plan. Being such a hard thing
to bring about…as I got into my 20’s and 30’s
and the realities of life started to set in, I really thought
I had let go of it.
In 1989, my sister-in-law was getting married.
I made her headpiece and decided I could make money at home
if I started a little bridal millinery business. It was an
instant success. Within a year and a half I had opened my
first store and things were moving along nicely.
One day while at the Cincinnati Public Library with my husband
Neil and the girls, I looked into a case displaying several
opened-faced books about the work of Peter Carl Faberge …
I was transfixed. I had trained as a painter and sculptor
(and quite a snobby one at that!) so I had never been interested
in the work of Faberge. As I looked at those pages, I felt
a total body chemistry change. I looked up into my husband’s
eyes and said, “I’m never going to be the same again”…
and I wasn’t.
I had my eye on the European bridal market
and had noticed a trend away from fabric headpieces. The Faberge
experience ignited a spark in me and it set the wheels in
motion. I began laying the groundwork to create the most understated
and unique hair ornaments ever for brides in America.
Within one year I had introduced my line
at the New York Bridal Market and won the respect, editorial
notice, and magazine covers of almost every bridal magazine
in America. I had truly launched an innovation that was to
turn the bridal industry upside down...dethroning the current
reigning dinosaurs and start a fashion revolution that redefined
couture, mainstream, and budget bridal fashion. Today, PARIS
enjoys the position of #1 in the Bridal Market. I am extremely
proud of what I have created; something out of nothing and
with no outside financial help.
Paris is undoubtedly a family affair, there’s
my husband Neil and partner in the business. In 2004, we
celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary. He is definitely
the glue that holds us all together and always full of insightful
observations. He has held so many positions in the company.
This is a guy who has been forced to use both sides of his
brain, he is our company photographer, videography, he lays
out our ad campaign, he travels to New York and California
to help with our market, he has also designed and built the
furniture we market, that houses the Paris products.
Our eldest daughter Hannah, the redhead
who has been our signature model since she was 12, has held many
positions in the company working in our retail store, helping
at market and working in production. She is now our Public
Relations Rep and travels all over the country doing personal
appearances and hosting trunk shows. We are so proud of the
extraordinary way Hannah represents our company.
Finally our baby Ruth, Ruth had an article written
about her in “Good Housekeeping” in 1998. When
Ruth was 8 years old she helped create a headpiece that became
a best seller for 3 years. Vera Wang used it in an Ad and
on the runway; it was a very fine concept that we put into
production.
No successful person gets anywhere worth
going by themselves and I have my family to thank for so much
love and support.
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