Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1543122
November | page 38 | 2010 Continued on page 41 E laine Turner is dressed in a violet silk gown, long limbs dangling over a raffia-covered chair in her living room. With the convic- tion and verve of editrix Diana Vreeland, she declares, "Your home and your space are truly a reflection of you, just like what you wear." This is a woman who obviously understands not only her namesake brand's identity and core customer but also the fact that designers often bring the same aesthetic home with them. The Houston-based handbag and shoe creator is celebrating 10 years in business. Turner currently has an atelier in Rice Village, as well as a shop- in-shop at Tootsies (which was her very first account), with another Elaine Turner boutique opening next month in CityCentre, and sells her wares to such recognized names as Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. Born and raised in Sugar Land, she started her fashion career on New York's 7th Avenue with several different private-label companies. "I would basically work with product-development teams from big retailers like Ann Taylor, Marshall Field's and Talbots," she recalls. "I received a broad perspective on the mass American woman … It taught me a lot about marketability and how to be successful in business. It's not all about 'I'm an artist and I'm hidden behind that front door over there.' It's really about how you can communicate a message and make people understand that message, then ultimately own and wear it." She met her husband, Jim, in New York. They courted, married, moved back home to Texas and started a family in short order. While expecting her first child, she also gave birth to Elaine Turner designs — launching her stylish brand with what some might call less-than-ideal timing. While she was seven months pregnant, she flew around the country to trade shows, researching the void she'd fill in the market. "Looking back," she says, "I do think I went a little loony. I was creating life and thought I'd create a A Life by