Dear _____,

For two months, "open for business" was not part of _____ vocabulary. The designer and owner of the upscale boutique _____ had better things to do. Creativity for instance. "I wanted space to do research, which requires liberty and time," she said. "I began with the idea of freedom and personalization and I wanted to get back to those." So she papered the windows, hung up a sign telling her clients she would be back in _____, tried to ignored the fact that she was paying high rents for empty rooms and got to work. 

If what _____ has created so far is anything to judge from, her research gamble might be worth the effort. For 20 years she has "played with fabrics and forms," dressing models in magazines like Vogue and Elle, with her articles and accessories matching up with fashion's best. But while the mondo della moda has developed at a frenetic pace, with large houses consolidating into empires and packing double collections into single seasons, _____ has chosen to remain small. She works from her rather lavish studio home and likens her clientele to "collectors" who choose wardrobes the way others might select art. "People buy pieces that become dear to them," said _____, adding that her style allows her customers to build collections as well as to change them. 

The  _____-born designer is a purist in form as well as function, with a deep-seated hatred of shoulder pads and a reverence for fabrics as well as femininity. "I always starts from the body," said  _____, who eschews androgynous design as much as she dislikes commercialism. "The difference between what you feel you must do and commercial business is huge," she said, explaining once more why she kept her shop closed. "But that difference is life." 

Clothing at  _____ runs from _____ for long-sleeved sailor-striped shirts and light-weight jersey dresses to over _____ for evening wear, depending on fabrics, detail and finish. As of _____, the latest merchandise will be on sale. 

See you in September,
PROVENCE