A long time ago in a suburb far, far away lived a little girl named Nanette Lepore. At the age of nine Fashion Designer Nanette created her first couture look by outfitting a neighbor in a gypsy bedspread cum dashiki and beaded choker. She painted sunflowers on her face and stood in the front yard with a cardboard sign that read "Lepore". Sensing the child's entrepreneurial talent her abstract painter father, and fabulously stylish mother, encouraged Nanette's creativity. The first and only kindergarten teacher and mother of four to wear hot pants and gladiator sandals in Youngstown, Ohio, Mrs. Lepore was the muse to both her husband and her daughter. Sure that Nanette was following in her footsteps, Mrs. Lepore turned a blind eye to her daughter's 4 am sewing stints, and encouraged her independence. Road tripping on Route 66 with her bohemian parents each summer gave Nanette a taste for travel, and made her feel like "a little gypsy". With big ideas of romance and adventure Nanette left to pursue a design degree at FIT in New York City, and married painter Robert Savage. After shuttling between design jobs and struggling interviews, Nanette was encouraged by her husband to strike out on her own. The couple set up shop in a penthouse office in the garment district. It quickly became "celebration central" for poets and painters who would bounce ideas off one another while star gazing on the roof. Nanette admits "It was an ongoing party with lots of work thrown in." Her gypsy lifestyle remains a theme in Nanette's creativity, and she is inspired by friends, family , and fun.

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