What or who inspired you to break into fashion? Did you have a mentor?
"I started to make my own clothes while in college and I met a woman who owned a great gallery/boutique in L.A.’s Chinatown. She let me consign some dresses that I was making at my dining room table, and people were actually buying them! She really encouraged me to start a clothing line. So, I did, and the rest is history."

Who are some other designers you really admire?
"I’m in love with Donna Karan. I pretty much love everything she does. She really understands a woman’s body and designs for such a range of women. She evolves every season. She takes chances and she seems like one hell of a woman. She’s a mother, a grandmother, a businesswoman, a philanthropist, an art collector, and a yogi. She’s kind of my idol!"

Photographed by Hailley Howard