dresses celebrities When Kami Speer learned to sew, she learned the way many young girls do – under the guiding hands of her grandmother, Mildred Speer. Her skill and interest quickly surpassed that of the average teen as she designed and sewed her own prom dresses in high school. A 1995 graduate of Brockport High School, Speer, 23, attended a 3-1 program between the Fashion Institute of Technology and Oneonta College. Last October, she and partner Casey Paul, whom Speer met at FIT, opened Speer and Paul in Manhattan. The fashion design firm specializes in one-of-a-kind evening gowns and day-to-evening pieces such as skirts, camisoles, beaded pants, capes and shawls. Speer and Paul evening wear sells for up to $2,000. Despite cut-throat competition in the fashion capital, Speer and Paul are experiencing a wave of success in their first few months of operation. In December, the two young designers were given the chance to come up with an outfit for a television appearance by Liza Minnelli. Speer and Paul worked 20 hours a day for four straight days to complete the outfit. Minnelli was so impressed that she ordered a line of glamour wear for her current United States tour. At the January 26 inauguration of North Dakota Governor John Hoeven, First Lady Mikey Hoven arrived in a Speer and Paul creation. The crystal-beaded organza and silk gown will be worn by Hoeven again to the White House for a governors’ dinner this month. Other Speer and Paul clients include talk show host Lisa Ling, Broadway star Bernadette Peters, and actress Celeste Holm. The firm’s designs can also be purchased at Tatiana’s in New York City. Speer, who comes back to Hamlin often to visit parents Greg and Kathy, said she and Paul plan to stay in evening wear design. "We have mostly private clients," she said, "and we plan to do a small collection each year. Right now, we’re busy at work on our fall designs." |
