Occupation: I am a clothing and fashion designer managing a home studio for couture. I do it all from my home office here at the corner of Queen Street and Wasserman Way, where I consult with my clients and design, sew, and style clothes and offer a
Occupation: I am a clothing and fashion designer managing a home studio for couture. I do it all from my home office here at the corner of Queen Street and Wasserman Way, where I consult with my clients and design, sew, and style clothes and offer a full range of accessories. My specialty is working with a personâs potential. I like to help people look their best, which also makes them happier. Itâs often the little things that taken together can make a big difference. Although I only started this business here in Newtown a year ago, I hope to reach clients over a broad region from New Jersey and New York through Western Connecticut.
My company name is Lani Lee Couture, Designs & Tailoring at 69 Queen Street, Newtown, and my phone is 270-7779. Email: lanileedesigner@hotmail.com.
How Long In This Town: I moved here a year and a half ago from Los Angeles, Calif. I have lived in the United States since 1979 and during that time I have lived in Des Moines, Seattle, and Denver. I have traveled to every state. I lived for a while in North Carolina, where I raised my two boys.
Why I Chose Newtown: When I first drove down Main Street, I felt like I was in an old Hollywood movie. It felt so comfortable. Since I was looking to move to New England, I got on the Internet and found this house, made an appointment to see it, made an offer, and bought it. I didnât see anything else. Then I began a series of alterations and added a garage though I tried not to change the traditional appearance of the house because it has a certain history. It was built a long time ago by a single woman like me named Julia Prindle.
Family: My son Philip, 24, is an investment banker in Manhattan. My other son, Peter, 20, is a junior at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, studying journalism. When my sons visit, we go down to the back of the yard and pick up garbage and clean up the stream for the brook trout. It is so beautiful there. [Deep Brook where it flows through Fairfield Hills is a natural trout fishery.]
Hobbies: I love gardening and the fact that we have four separate seasons. I try to make the beauty of each season last as long as possible. For example, I put cotton sheets over the flowers during cold fall nights to protect them from the frost, and I put out a lot of colored lights over the holidays. It takes effort to keep the yard up, but itâs fun. I have two riding tractors and one push mower and I always try to mow just before a rain. My neighbors ask me how I âknowâ itâs going to rain because it always rains right after I mow. They also say my yard looks like a botanical garden. I love it when people who are driving by stop to comment about how nice everything looks. One man said, âThis house looks like heaven!â and that made me very happy.
Pets: I have two cats named Maggie and Timmy. They take care of all the rodents in my old stone basement ââ creatures that have been here longer than I have. The catsâ favorite food is ripe cantaloupe.
Favorite Newspapers, TV Show, Entertainment: I subscribe to five newspapers: The Newtown Bee, The News-Times, Womanâs Wear Daily, and two newspapers from New York and Korea. I read at least six fashion magazines a month to keep up with new products.
On TV, I loved watching Sex And The City for the fashion, and Iâm enjoying Desperate Housewives. I like Boston Legal because itâs on the cutting edge.
I love live music of all kinds and I am a huge fan of opera. I go to the New York City Opera Ballet and the Metropolitan Opera, but I was really impressed with what Newtown has to offer ââ the holiday concert and the summertime concerts on the lawn. They are high quality.
Organizations: I belong to the Newtown Garden Club and to SCAN for the painting and design.
Vacation Destinations: I enjoy downhill skiing, and Iâve loved going to Aspen Mountain in Colorado. I also like Okemo, Stowe, and Jay Peak in the East.
Impressions Of Newtown: I loved Halloween night on Main Street. I couldnât believe this small of a town could put out so much effort for just one night, serving candy and amusing all the visitors. It was like a carnival.
Everyone is so appreciative of the history of this town, and they value what they have in their old homes ââ like a 300-year-old beehive oven where you can still bake bread. In general, I have to say that New Englanders wear such dull colors all the time, like brown, black, and gray. It all blends into a fog of dark colors. Nobody wants to stick out. But if they would dress up a little, they would get compliments and be happy. Thatâs why I want to help people have fun and develop a little style in their lives.
Personal Philosophy: I say do your best, and I feel the same way about beauty. We all have our own special brand of beauty and talent and we should maximize that. We should try to enjoy what we have moment by moment.
Snapshot: Lani Lee