Show alt £al it tribune Friday Lifestyle Morning-Febru- Section 20 ary A 1987 Page Her designs are special: not trendy but current 14 ' I ? li " 'f f si ' f Vi By Carolyn Monnn Tribune Fashion Kditor Soiling clothes in a retail store at 13 buying for the store at 17 Linda Harrison now designs elothes -something she never dreamed of doing In a telephone interview from her Los Angeles workplace she said she's not sure she should call herself a de- signer or even tell fashion buyers she's the one who created them “I want to hear what the buyers think about the clothes Buyers are more apt to tell you what they think when they know you own the company than if they know you designed the clothes” Ms Harrison did not go straight from retailing to designing There was an step that of sales — selling the line to representative store buyers While she was a sales rep the company started getting her design ideas ' "I wanted to get out of retailing The stores weren't mine I was feeling burned out My boyfriend offered ' me the chance" The boyfriend Jim Baily owned Taste of Honey a firm specializing in juniors He offered her the joh of representing the company and selling the line Though she liked the man — still does — she didn't like the clothes she was selling “The designer was doing sweet things and I didn't like them The line didn't fit into the stores I was trying to sell I started giving suggestions” The firm went through a succession of designers With Ms Harrison making more and more suggestions she and Mr Baily decided that since her suggestions were what was selling she should take on the task by herself “I don't sketch I cannot make a pattern 1 can't even sew on a button We hired an assistant who could do all that plus understand me” Ms Harrison can see a piece of fabric and know how it should be used She knows what colors the garment should be and how to accessorize it Five years ago her designs and the company completely changed directions They went from juniors to missy — where she felt her dresses in particular would fit better When the company went out of juniors the name Taste of Honey was thought "too cutey” she explained There followed a succession of names before Sybil and Linda Harrison for Sybil were decided “The name fejt good and seemed more stable — something I felt characterized my designs and the women for whom I was designing” she said This woman she explained wants something special — she may be a career woman who wants something that will go to work as well as out in the evening or she may like the look and want it for an occasion Ms Harrison's designs are not trendy but they do have a current yyt & t ' Lif' 'is i Pd 'Y''i'' ? ' p ' '' 'vi V' H ' ' - ' S I s Designer Linda Harrison Los Angeles stamps work with special touches to distinguish it from others in price range ' vf ’- 't n if f Separates are part of the sportswear line Linda Har- rison for Sybil Gabardine twill with animals share important billing in lines 7 - 7 s if 'i - " £ f ii Design: Sam Smith The safari styling was provoked by the dress fabric’s color khaki look “1 do not follow fashion If hip wraps are suddenly big I will not do a hip wrap A buyer can get hip wraps at any price I want my things to be fashion-righ- t but still have an individual look" She does this through special touches most notably belts The right belt makes the difference in how a dress looks “We can use the same fabric as another manufacturer but by adding the right belt our dress will outsell the others” So important are Sybil belts she said they are responsible for 50 to 75 percent of sales "Retailers have been after me to r-- ' 4: sell belts as separate items and we are seriously considering it With option belts in addition to the one that comes with a dress a woman can change how her dress looks Retailers want earrings and shoes — but I think I'll stop at belts” Along with the designer title Linda Harrison serves as company vice president The clothing is made in the Los Angeles area For spring and summer Sybil the e line and Linda Harrison e for Sybil the sportswear or one-piec- two-piec- line offer items in gabardine and twill with animals on it She predicted animal prints and or accents going strong through fall and winter Other design themes include Aztec prints cowboy looks and leather and suede accents she called luggage trims Ms Harrison 44 on Feb 5 so she is not used to it yet said designing is scary “You must always be topping yourself This is not a business where you have a chance to rest on your laurels People feel ‘You gave me something good last time but that was then Vhat do you have to offer now? ' ” Sybil and Linda Harrison for Sybil are available in Salt Lake City the lines that retail from $130 to $300 with items such as a leather jacket selling for $700 are carried at Nordstrom Classy Lady Betty Lewis Apparel and La Femme Ms Harrison doesn't wear them “For myself I wear clothes a couple of notches up I wear designer I also wear my clothes my way I create my own look” - |