Jeanne-Marc

Jeanne Allen — designer, businesswoman, author and mentor — grew up in Seattle and graduated from the University of Washington. In 1970 at Design Research in San Francisco, she met her future husband, Marc Grant. Together they went to Helsinki, Finland to work at the design mecca — Marimekko Oy — and then to Brighton, England where Jeanne began to collage vintage fabrics into patchwork jackets and dresses. They quickly sold out in trendy London and Paris boutiques Jeanne and Marc returned to San Francisco in 1974. Encouraged by the success in Europe, they opened the first Jeanne-Marc shop on Washington Square in North Beach. Here the collection grew in both size and sophistication. Meticulously crafted, colorful and rich in detail, the eclectic designs caught the attention of the fashion savvy and orders poured in from Saks, I Magnin, Bloomingdale’s, Henri Bendel, Bergdorf Goodman and Harrods in London. The fashion press took note and People magazine featured them for the star quality of their clientele.(http://www.fashionincubatorsf.org/execdirector.html)