Char de Vazquez

Char was born Charlotte Blankenship in a small Colorado town to a lively

creative family, (she still has the doll clothes she and her two sisters stitched

on their mother’s small Singer). In 1968, after studying art history in university

and two years designing clothes for a boutique in California, Char ventured

to Guadalajara with her husband Aurelio Vazquez. There, like the storybook

Miller’s Daughter, she took a scrap of leather (instead of a wisp of straw) and

turned it into gold.

One hand-painted leather handbag grew to become six stores in Mexico and

a collection that debuted in the New York Boutique show in 1972. Major

department store buyers saw the collection, and Char’s painted bags became

the proverbial overnight sensation.

Ten years later, Char relocated to Santa Fe with her young sons Mark, Demian

and ALex Vazquez. There, with the help of her parents and her sister Sherry Stein,

also a designer, Char and Sher Designs was born, featuring Southwest leather

and suede clothing.

In 1979 Char and Sher’s men’s western shirt landed on the cover of GQ

magazine, sending their company and designs to the forefront of the Western

clothing fashion craze of the 1980’s.

In the early 1990’s Sherry left to pursue a career in Industrial Design, and

the business continued as Char Designs. Those who’ve bought her high fashion

leather clothes over the years include Goldie Hawn, Ellen Barkin, Donovan,

Jesse Colter and Waylon Jennings, Sam Shepard, Travis Tritt, Barbra Steisand

and Cher.

Today, Char continues to come up with inspired, fresh designs, sold at CHAR, her

Santa Fe boutique. The family involvement in the business remains a joy. For

fifteen years she has been married to her long-time love and partner, Fred Durham.

Her mother Adelene Blankenship, almost ninety, continues as a general support

and inspiration. Sons Demian and Alex are jewelry designers based in Austin, Texas;

their work is featured on their website www.dandabrothers.com. Son Mark is a

doctor, also based in Austin. Char’s sister, Sherry, is a designer of a canvas and

leather bag line, S.STEIN, www.ssteindesign.com (she also created this website).

Olderst sister Judy Blankenship is a photojournalist living in Portland, Oregon and

Canar. Ecuador (she edited this text).

In 2002 Char’s clothing was included in a retrospective at Barneys New York, along

with Zandra Rhodes, Rudi Gernreich, Holly Harp and other notable designers from

the 1970’s.