Tied in a Bow April 2015 | Page 72

Nina Gleyzer,

Couture Designer

New York Couture Fashion Week

TIAB – Tell us a little about your background.

Nina – Well, as you know, I am from St. Petersburg, Russia, and I came to America 25 years ago, first to Buffalo, New York, where I started off working at a dry cleaners then three years later to Atlanta where I am now. I earned a master's degree in fashion as well as a PhD in art. Along the way, my designs have been featured in 140 magazines all over the world, including such countries as Japan, Italy, France, and Germany.

TIAB – That’s a pretty impressive resume alone. How did you get into design?

Nina – Ah, my favorite story to tell! We were a very average family but had rich relatives. For example, my dad was an engineer, but our relatives were professors and scientists. We wore old clothes, but they were in okay condition. As a young girl, I guess I didn’t know any better; but as I grew older, I would begin to notice the better clothing being worn by relatives and others. When I was in the 7th grade, I bought a wool barrel skirt and decided to do something different. So I turned the dress upside down and cinched it up at the waist and added some embellishments to it. It was my own design and I liked it. So I wore it to school the next day to show my friends my new creation. Of course, we all wore uniforms to school every day. So when I arrived at school, the other children laughed at me and said terrible things, and I was sent home for the day. It was a disaster! Of course, I was in tears, but I vowed that day to prove to everyone that I could be a great designer.

TIAB – And look at you today! That motivation certainly worked for you.

Nina – It definitely was a strong factor in my decision to get into this field.

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