MOM
“I was transformed from “Mom the Art Teacher” to “Mom the Goddess For An Evening”! At least that’s how I felt. It was a little like being Cinderella.”
“What fun I had with my son David preparing for the Best of Main Line Event last week. Like all women, I have my body issues. In my opinion, I'm short, round and way too hippy. Luckily I have a pretty face thanks to good genes. My husband is my greatest fan and worst enemy. I love to cook and we love ice cream, need I say more?
We are so proud of everything that both of our sons have accomplished, but most of all we are proud of the kind and caring men they have become. When David asked me to be his date to the Main Line event, I said absolutely but you better get started on that dress! The process began with taking my measurements. David refused to reveal the numbers, instead, he assured me that my body wasn't a problem it was the designers that had it wrong. From that point forward I knew that the education at Parsons in Manhattan was worth every penny. I was in good hands.
With David's guidance, I was transformed from "Mom the Art Teacher" to "Mom the Goddess For An Evening"! At least that's how I felt. It was a little like being Cinderella. The food was fabulous the people were beautiful and there was my little boy hob-knobbing with the Main Liners while I watched not knowing what to say. As they say in the biz, "It was Fabulous"!”
-Ann Ferron
Over the years my design motivations have changed. At Parsons, it was a purely creative pursuit where concepts drove design through experimentation. When I was designing for New York brands it was more about a cohesive collection that was approachable for buyers. Now I have the opportunity to work directly with real women and my motivations have evolved. My most recent client happens to be my Mom.
A week ago I attended the Main Line Today Winners Event. The night was a celebration of all of the fabulous restaurants, bars, and businesses that were selected to be on the Best of the Main Line List for 2019! If you look closely you will see Unionville Saddle as the winner for Best Women's Evening Wear on that list. So I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than bringing two of my favorite clients ever, my cousin Lily and my Mom!
It is not every day that Mom wears a floor-length draped gown considering she usually comes home from the Middle School with clay under her nails after teaching kids art all day. So this was a special treat for her and me! We had an incredible time fitting her gown, deciding what jewelry to wear and how to do her makeup. This may all seem trivial but when you see the pictures of her you can see that she is glowing with confidence. She even had to fend off well-dressed men asking if her husband was with her that night.
A night like this reminds me why I do what I do. It is to lift up real women not just have a nice concept or a collection that buyers like. Clothing is emotional and can transform how we interact with the world. If I have any motivation moving forward it will be to re-create the moment my Mom walked out of the dressing room to show my Dad her final look. He was speechless, babbling, and incoherent, and she was beaming.
-David
Photos Courtesy of Kate Tandy katetandyphotography.pixieset.com
