The old world charm of Imperial Russia inspired and delighted me when I began dancing with my first ballet teacher. Mme. Tatiana Ourousoff. She was a Russian princess, a refugee of the revolution. She introduced me to the romanticism of Anna Pavlova, the genius of Vaslav Nijinsky, the artistry of Leon Baskt, the fiery music of Igor Stravinsky, the elegant style and perfectionism of Sergei Diagalev. I have great respect and appreciation for the quality of artistic works of that time period. Later, when I discovered Isadora Duncan, her dramatic idealism, and brilliant choreography, it was a transformational moment in my life as a dancer. Throughout, I was always sewing. I made costumes for myself and other dancers and later for theatre, opera, and musical productions.

I began working on handbags in particular because I found them to be a good medium in which to juxtapose an interesting blend of fabrics. I love combining the tapestries, silks, and velvets, and finding interesting accents - handmade handles, beads, buttons, silk ribbons, and especially, finishing them with hand stitching. I want to create an “atmosphere” inside and out. My sister Landa said “ The interiors are so beautiful, I feel like I’m going into a special place that is decorated just for me.”

I see my handbags as works of art. My favorite jamescyns are those that are like ever-changing sculptures in the way that they sit or settle when not in use. At the moment, as I move into more contemporary designs, I’m experimenting with leather and silk, which I love, although it doesn’t lend itself to hand finishing. Still, there is a certain elegance to the leather bags I’ve made so far, so I am still quite pleased with the results.
I have no designing nightmare stories to share, I think, because I am always willing to be flexible with my original concept. Starting with a design idea, a bag often takes on a life of it’s own. I allow it to evolve into what it will be as I work on it rather than imposing my design constraints. Brilliant ideas and inspired solutions come to me under those circumstances.

My greatest satisfaction in this process has been that I actually impressed my father. Having always appreciated me a dancer, and an adventurous traveler, which he holds in high esteem, he was pleased with my design aesthetic, and surprised by my entrepreneurial spirit and business abilities. It has been interesting to me, as well, to see my artistic sense take on another form, moving from dance, to business and design.