All About (Sonya) COHЯ

I have always loved color, texture and shapes. I have amazing memories of going  with my mother , Ozie Quarterman, who is a retired Architect , and a creative , to the thrift shops all around D. C., the capital of the United States, where I was born and raised. Every Saturday we would go to either a museum and study art or we would go to thrifts shops. Both of my parents had great taste. But only my mother had the patience to comb through hundreds of pieces of vintage household goods, furniture and objets d’art long before it became the popular and trendy thing to do.  People would ask my mother where she got a unique rhinestone pin or a ornate set of silverplate, silverware and she would say it was from one of her «  favorite stores ». She taught me that great taste travels and that if you have the patience and the eye to see something amazing then it doesn’t matter where it was purchased.

 After graduating from the University of Virginia in 1988 I went on to study Couture for a year at the acclaimed, Écoles de la Haute Couture Parisienne in Paris, France. There I learned how to drape patterns on the dress form, illustrate my own croquis ( fashion sketches), and make shapes in patterns and real garments. After returning to the states I worked as a Designer for corporations in California, St. Louis and Florida for 20 years. I witnessed many companies convert   businesses to vertical operations and move their production overseas.  The 90’s was all about developing in-house, private brands and transitioning the business.

So in 2016 I decided to create my own brand. I really just started all over again with courage to keep moving forward. I started draping , creating patterns and doing custom orders. Clients would also give me items to upcycle or recreate from this piece of fabric or that garment that no longer fit. From there, I reached out to factories in China with low minimums to make more than one size. Then, of course, the Coronavirus changed everything and I restructured my business model.

In the Summer of 2021, I visited Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to research other factories and suppliers.  There I found a factory that could produce small quantities and also ship the merchandise directly to my clients. Today, I still really enjoy designing women’s apparel with a focus on extraordinary quality, shapes and seeing my clients love what they choose from the collections. It doesn’t matter what you do or where you are from, or who you are. I truly believe that each and every person is exceptional and deserves the best........ because you are a star.