Hispanic and fashion designer

Hankins has designs on the modern woman - fashion designer Anthony Mark Hankins

Anthony Mark Hankins was fiercely ambitious about making a name in couture from the age of 7, when, so the story goes, he designed his first dress for his mother. She wore it to a wedding, crooked seams and all. From there, the Elizabeth, NJ, native single-mindedly plotted his future course.

At age 28, he's now a classically trained designer who creates moderately priced career apparel for the modern woman. He is also an energetic marketer, innovator and author, who went from being a quality control inspector for JCPenney in 1992, to an in-house fashion designer for the retailer in 1994 - a position for which he was eminently qualified.

Hankins studied design at the Pratt Institute and served as an intern with Willi Smith. From 1988 to 1990, he studied in Paris at the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicate de la Couture Parisienne, and always on short rations, got a scholarship funded by Yves St. Laurent to help pay for his daily bread and cheese. On his return to New York in 1990, Hankins took a job with knitwear designer Adrienne Vittadini: Two years later came the stint with JCPenney. Eventually, the then 21-year-old convinced management to let him develop a line of African-American fashions.

As Hankins recalls: "I made a lot of mistakes on their money, and I made some great successes on their dollar."

In 1994, he decided to strike out on his own, and a one-year exclusive licensing contract with the chain helped him establish his Dallas, TX-based company. He currently owns 60 percent of the business. Bruce Ackerman, his mentor, who was with JCPenney for 37 years, went with him as CEO, and owns 30 percent of the business. Another investor has 10 percent.

The organization's volume is $40 million, and his fashions are in 1,000 stores. And Hankins says, "Soon the number of accounts may double because we're working on a private [label program] that's going to put us in everybody's house."

His customer list so far is impressive: Sears is a major account. Hankins' lines also are in Nordstrom. ... He has a private label, called Authentics, in Target. ... His fashions are on the Home Shopping Network. ... There are 17 licensing agreements. If that's not enough, Hankins is in bed and bath and tabletop - and he's now working on men's wear.

The gregarious designer is a comer. Hankins' exuberant styling has tapped into fashion that appeals to many women. In describing his work, the artist/showman declares: "We are really a soulful design company. We're probably one of the first companies to ever give African and Hispanic women what they want. ... It's fine for a black woman to want to wear fuchsias and turquoises. Back in the '80s, no one ever thought of amethyst as a hot color for a woman of color. And it's more than that," Hankins adds. "My customer base is predominantly white. No matter what race they are, women just gravitate to our styling."

Hankins notes that for years the women's couture salons in Paris and Italy have been taking inspiration from African-American dress. "From St. Laurent to Versace, noted designers have turned to Harlem or Chicago. And now, in ready-to-wear, everyone is doing it," Hankins adds, noting that he also draws his inspiration from major cities, and the flair that women who live in them have. However, he decided not to go after the hip-hop market.

Hankins has already written an upbeat autobiography, called, Fabric of Dreams: Designing My Own Success. Why at such a young age? He explains: "No African-American designer has written his memoirs. ... But it's not just about being an African-American in the industry. It's about being a young player and trying to learn as much as you can.

Hankins continues: "My father, who came to the U.S. from Cuba, learned English and was able to start his own business. I'm so tired of hearing other blacks saying there's no opportunity in this country, If you take control of your destiny, there is opportunity."