Designer Van Lupu recalls working with Nancybelle

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Nancybelle Valentine credits designer Van (Vangheli) Lupu with being the first designer she worked with who really "let me show what I can do." She met Lupu while working for White Stag from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s. White Stag is a sportswear line now owned by Walmart. An award-winning fashion designer, Lupu founded his consulting firm, Van Lupu, Ltd. in 1975. As of this writing, he is an associate professor of fashion design at the Pratt Institute in New York City.

In this audio clip, Lupu discusses how they came to work together, the nature of their working relationship, and what aspiring fashion industry professionals can learn from Valentine's example.

Elder Nancybelle remembers her father, the hatmaker

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