Woman finds NICHE in fashion

COLTON — Mary Gwyneth Holland has entered the world of haute couture from a first career in information technology that paid the bills but didn't touch her heart.

Ms. Holland, 365 Hanson Road, is a finalist in the 2010 NICHE Awards for her one-of-a-kind hand-beaded white peacock coat of silk charmeuse and chenille yarn. NICHE is a trade magazine for independent retailers of fine crafts.

"I have always loved manipulating fabric," she said. "I've been sewing and making my own patterns since I was 10."

Her entry is among 161 out of nearly 1,000 submissions that made it to the finals. Judging is based on technical excellence, market viability and distinctness.

Winners will be announced Feb. 12 in Philadelphia during the Buyers Market of American Craft, where Ms. Holland hopes to make a splash with a design collection —which could include a sports jacket, bathing suit, evening tops and cocktail dresses — modeled around the white peacock theme.

She will retail the white peacock coat, so named because it resembles a peacock's plumage, and an accompanying gown for $105,000. Her goal is to establish a made-to-order clothing line through boutiques that cater to the wealthy.

"This is sort of my entry into the market," she said. "I'd love to be able to find an investor so I could take this to a whole other level."

Ms. Holland's upbringing was marked by needlework. Her grandmother was known for her fine embroidery. Her mother, Marjorie, preferred knitting and knew how to sew. Off-the-rack clothes never fit Ms. Holland well, so she learned to make alterations.

After she took early retirement in 2007 from her job as information technology director at SUNY Canton, she thought about a second career. She had a lot of talents from which to choose.

She designed the straw bale house in which she and her husband, Robert P. Spengler, live and served as its general contractor when it was built. She did a lot of the home's mosaic and tile work, designed and finished the woodwork, some of which is hand-carved, and is also a painter.

"Probably my biggest challenge was focusing on what I wanted to do," she said.

Ms. Holland took a class through Northern Adirondack Trading Cooperative, which helps rural entrepreneurs bring their products to a global marketplace. The program was started several years ago through the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce with the help of former U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"After a lot of research and fact-finding, Mary decided to focus on fashion design," said Ruby J. Sprowls, NATC senior business development officer. "Late last year, everything came together."

Haute couture is French for high dressmaking and refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing.

Ms. Holland submitted three of her original clothing pieces in different categories to the magazine contest, but only the white peacock made it to the finals.

"It is without a doubt a work of art. It's an extraordinary piece of dressmaking," Mrs. Sprowls said. "Everything she put into this gown is couture — the meticulous attention to detail, the whole construction process. She is worthy of being associated with that history. I'm confident she's going to win this."