Mary Ann Restivo Fall/ Winter 1990

The New York Times: Mary Ann Restivo, noted fashion designer. Studied retailing at College of St. Elizabeth in Morristown, New Jersey, and design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She began her career at Abby Michael and continued at Something Special, Sports Sophisticates, and Mary Ann Restivo for Genre. Her design talent soon attracted the attention of investors, and she launched her own firm under her name and label in 1980. Her continued success soon led to a buyout by Leslie Fay Corporation. The division was closed and Mary Ann became consultant for clients including Saks Fifth Avenue and Burberrys. Among her many awards were the Young Designers award from the Hecht Company, the Mortimer C. Ritter award from FIT, an Honorary Doctor of Humanities from College of St. Elizabeth's, the Alumna of the Year award from the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges, and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor Award. Her career path and fashions appeared in many books and magazines Mary Ann's acuity to her customer base was an essential part of her business success, and she was championed by Bernadine Morris and Anne-Marie Schiro of The New York Times. Exquisite textiles and fabric were a fixture of Restivo design, and her classic styles are in the closets and worn by fashion admirers every day.