This morning I learned that Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer recently told his National Public Radio audience that “a great influence during my time at Stanford and afterward was Professor Patrick Suppes, Master of Logic”. Everywhere I go in the world, I meet former students of my husband who tell me that it was Patrick Suppes who was such a profound influence in their lives. It has been a joy and of course a challenge to have been married to this living legend for more than half my life. Our daughter, Alexandra Suppes, who is a graduate student in social psychology at Columbia University lovingly refers to her father as “the mad professor” and “my anarchist father”. Pat is neither mad nor an anarchist. He simply does things his way and he has succeeded like few others. One of the brilliant pieces of advice he gave me was to start an online fashion magazine from the ground up. It’s been challenging but I have never regretted a moment I have spent with Fashionlines.com. The people I have worked with and the people I have met through the magazine are nothing short of incredible. I realized when I began Fashionlines that I was not interested in chasing the mundane fashion story. I really only wanted to watch young talent develop, grow and become successful in this rollercoaster business. In this way, I have modeled my career on my husband’s.

Pat has always had an infallible eye for the best and the brightest young talent. I felt the same when I inadvertently stumbled across the design team on aura tout vu in the Palais Royal gardens of Paris nearly seven years ago. These three designers were so talented that it was breathtaking. Their singular and combined talents produced ground breaking clothes and accessories that the top couturiers understood and utilized in their own shows. Finally, on aura tout vu was persuaded to stage their first fashion show in January, 2002. Fashionlines has had the pleasure of following this team throughout their successes, and I have never worn an ensemble or accessory by them that was not envied by one and all.

Now I have the pleasure to write that last summer, I met two sisters from Pasadena, California named Kate and Laura Mulleavy. Their design label, Rodarte, is about to enter the annals of fashion history. Their outrageously successful trunk show at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City and amazing press from the normally hardcore fashion writers is awesome. I was lucky enough to meet the Mulleavys at the brink of their success, and I still remember the thrill I felt the first time I saw their exquisite couture quality silk dresses. I predict Rodarte will be on the Paris couture calendar very soon.

To all young designers, I urge you to stay the course. Don’t allow anyone to tell you your work isn’t sellable when you start out. You will find your market. In these conservative times when it is not chic to be an artist, all artists must be strong and persevere. Perhaps someday you will influence younger generations of designers to find their voices and to be strong. Do it your way.