Career designer fashion information

Representing the real - fashion designer Anthony Mark Hankins

While many clothing designers turn to lean, leggy models and rich society types as muses for their fashion vision, Dallas designer Anthony Mark Hankins prides himself on keeping things real. "There's nothing funky, freaky or fantastic about what I design," says Hankins. "I make clothing for real women with real bodies at affordable prices." That means whether you're a size 4 or a size 26, there's something in his collection for you--all for less than $100.

Reality works for Hankins. His signature collection first gained national attention in 1992 through JC Penney department stores, where in just three years he went from being a quality-assurance agent to becoming the company's first in-house designer. His dresses and matching coordinates in vibrant, culturally inspired prints and body-friendly silhouettes became so popular that within eight months the line's distribution grew from its original 62 stores to more than 300 stores. In turn, his clothing was featured in Fashion Influences, a JC Penney specialty catalog aimed at Black and Hispanic women. Last year, combined store and catalog sales reached $28 million.

Without question, Hankins's career at JC Penney was meteoric Yet he longed for the creative control that can only be attained through ownership, so last spring he left his post at the company to start his own. Now, at age 26, Hankins is positioning himself to become a household name: He has already designed a budget-priced clothing line for Target Stores, and he has licensed a line of jewelry as well. Next month eight of his designs will debut in the Butterick pattern catalog. And if the persistent Hankins has his way, next year you'll be able to purchase his garments from the comfort of your living room via QVC, where he hopes to host his own home-shopping program. Beyond that, his sights are set on manufacturing a line of collectibles and toys.

All of Hankins's endeavors are part of his lifelong ambition to become a clothing designer, a decision he said he made as a child growing up in Elizabeth, New Jersey. One of his most vivid childhood memories is of a dress his mother wore to emcee a gospel concert at the Baptist church his family attended. "It was black with a ballerina neckline," Hankins recalls. "It was fitted, then came to a trumpet flair at the bottom. She wore glittery silver shoes and lots of jewelry. it was then that I knew I wanted to be a designer."

By age 7, when his peers were probably just mastering the art of dressing themselves, Hankins had sewn his first ready-to-wear outfit--a skirt suit for his mother to wear to a wedding. Despite its crooked seams and unaligned zipper, she wore it proudly, letting everyone know that it had been stitched by young Anthony. As a teenager he spent his free time designing and sewing garments for family and friends, and he even designed his high school's band uniforms.

Hankins has studied his craft at some of the best schools-Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and the prestigious Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne in Paris. He has also worked with leading designers: Homer Layne, who is a protege of preeminent 1930's designer Charles james; the late Willi Smith; Adrienne Vittadini; and his personal favorite, Yves Saint Laurent. But despite his haute training, right now Hankins finds the most satisfaction designing for what he terms underserved women--that is, women whose body types are not always flattered by runway styles and who don't wish to spend a fortune on their wardrobes. "I want my clothes to be accessible to my working girlfriends and women like my mother," he says. For more information on the Anthony Mark Hankins collection, call (800) 789-4AMH.