Rebecca Taylor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rebecca Taylor (c. 1966–) is a New Zealand-born fashion designer based in New York, New York, USA. To Americans, she is probably the most famous New Zealand designer, with her label at US and European department stores. Her retail outlets include boutiques in Japan. Her company was reported in 2003 as having a US$12 million turnover.
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[edit] Background
In New Zealand, she attended St Catherine's College in Wellington. She received her initial fashion training as part of Access, a government scheme. One of her first jobs on the scheme was making clothes for Peter Jackson's Meet the Feebles’ puppet characters. After arriving in New York with $600 to her name, she was eventually hired by fashion designer Cynthia Rowley, under whom she worked for six years.
She débuted at New York Fashion Week as part of the Gen Art Styles competition in the late 1990s, before doing her own catwalk show in 1999.
[edit] The label
The multi-million-dollar Rebecca Taylor label was set up by Taylor with business partner Elizabeth Bugdaycay in 2000.
Actress Sarah Jessica Parker is a fan of Taylor's designs and called the designer personally. Taylor reportedly thought the call from Parker was a joke. Eventually, her work would be seen on Parker's show, Sex and the City, and on the Today show. Jennifer Lopez, Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet and Uma Thurman have been reported as Rebecca Taylor customers.
[edit] Personal life
She is married to Wayne Pate, who was introduced to her via mutual friends. Her younger sister, Victoria Taylor, is a nationally known jewellery designer in Wellington, New Zealand, and débuted her Tory Jewellery Company range at one of Rebecca Taylor's catwalk shows in New York.
[edit] Reference
- M. Bethell: 'Cute with Claws', Lucire, vol. 2, no. 9 (21), December 2006, pp. 32–3.
