In 1964, Saks Fifth Ave produced three fashion shows a year using 'society matrons' as models and I was one of them. I was newly married and often volunteering in the hospital. I thought, "I must do something with my time, my whole life is going to stretch out in front of me and I have nothing to do." I was 19 and had [completed] two years of college. Now what? It is amazing how unprepared I was. So I learned to sew and made myself a pair of pants.

Through the society modeling, I knew Jeane Eddy, who was the buyer for the Park Avenue Room at Saks at the time. We had children close in age so we got to know each other and became friends. One day we went to her house in Long Island for lunch. Admiring my outfit, she asked, "Where did you get those pants?" I told her I had made them. A week later she invited me to lunch in New York and asked if I would like to design a collection for the Park Avenue Room.

All I knew at the time was Vogue and Butterick patterns. Of course I said I would but thought to myself, "What am I doing?" I had no idea what I was doing and so I enrolled in the French Fashion Academy, which was in an office building on 57th Street. There I learned to sew and barely stayed one month ahead of the next design.

When I met Donald Brooks at one of those society fashion shows, I had already a line of clothing out. There is a picture of the two of us in front of a mannequin made in my image in the Park Avenue Room with one of my dresses on it. I think that was the time that he asked if I would like work for him because he wanted someone who was on the "inside", who understood the lifestyle of the women for whom he designed.

He asked if I would like to be his design associate. I threw myself into it, as I tend to do with everything I undertake. I wouldn't have missed the whole experience for the world!

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