Grachvogel

Maria (1969). Designer living and working in London, but with Polish-Irish origins. She was very keen on fashion from a young age and, at the age of 14, she has learned cutting and manufacturing clothes all by herself. At 16 she was ready to sell her creations. However, she decided to accept a good suggestion to study business and marketing. At 17 she was the youngest person ever to pass the exams to work as stockbroker in the City. She started a brilliant career in high finance, interrupting it twice to try her chances in the world of fashion but with scarce success. In 1988 she found a business partner and finally, in the early 1990s, she launched her own brand. Faithful to her glamour-chic style, she proposed refined yet sexy evening dresses, much loved by movie stars. She invited her friend, Victoria Beckham to the runway for her brand. She designed a line of evening dresses for the department store, Debenhams, branded “G.” Liberty allowed her the exclusive use of one of its flower patterns for her Spring-Summer 1997 Collection. In 2003 she opened a single brand store in Sloane Street, where a service of demi-couture is available as well as computers to check the Stock Exchange in real time.