Lucille Nailed It Ch. 01

"Someone will eventually come up with a way of making stockings self-stick. Such a breakthrough will change the way women think about themselves; those wearers want their legs to be seen. Fat-legged ladies will remain in neutral panty hose and choose skirts without slits."

Mrs Graham muttered something about 'the eyes of the young'.

"I'll have some made up to your suggestions today. If we go ahead with them and they bomb, you're out of here. The time is not yet here for daring slits."

Lucille laughed and asked what would her reward be if lines altered to her suggestion were snapped up with a rush?

"If that happens, I'll have to give a bonus, I guess."

* * *

Winslet Graham's spring range hit the market with a wide range of skirts. Those with splits were the biggest sellers. She wasn't the only mass market fashion supplier to relaunch the split that spring but was very happy to have caught the wave as it was taking off.

By now Lucille's talent had been identified - she was unable to sketch with flair and attempts at that seem to muddle her mind. Her strengths were conceptualizing and 'spotting' - her ability to spot the wrong look and to take a look with potential and suggest fine-tuning became quickly established.

Before long she was roaming the design department as a consultant without a title except she was known as 'Mrs Graham's protégé'. Whenever Lucille walked into a room at least one person would call, "Hey Lucille, come take a look at this."

* * *

Two months after Lucille joined the company she was invited to live at the Graham's guest lodge in the grounds of their estate. Soon she was cooking for the couple and travelled widely with Mrs Graham to fashion events.

Mrs Graham enrolled her to attend a fabric and fashion education academy three mornings a week, Lucille emerging with a diploma and design awards.

Out of her own interest Lucille studied journalism extramurally through a university she found would accept after examining her portfolio and rave testimonial despite her limited formal education.

She'd scrapped through the pre-admission test largely through having good general knowledge and brilliant conceptual ability that helped with her answers. After gaining that diploma she was permitted to study to upgrade it and completed a BA degree in print media studies.

"I think you are ready to move on," Mrs Graham said as they left the capping ceremony.

"Do you want me to stay?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll stay. There is no rush."

Mrs Graham switched Lucille into the office where she learned general office procedures and before too long received her first title, assistant manager of the exporting division.

Then it was all over.

Just after Lucille's 28th birthday Mrs Graham, almost seventy-two, suffered a mild stroke and decided to sell her business.

That's when Lucille decided it was time to move on and departed, with Mrs Graham's blessing and a hugely generous check "to help you carve out your future, my dear."

The now more sophisticated, educated and confident Lucille asked herself where to next. At that moment she still had no idea but she knew she now possessed business assets. Maria had commenced the unveiling of her as a person of note but it was low-key and low level. Winslet had filled in many of the gaps and advanced the socialization of her under-study.

With the $20,000 from Mrs Graham (Lucille never called her Winslet) that had lifted her personal wealth to almost $150,000 and that was a huge amount of money for a female of her age in those times.

She'd saved that money from salary, bonuses and lecturing on factory fashion design at the same fabric and fashion education academy where she'd received her initial formal training in design.

After three weeks of failing to find suitable employment when expecting to be walk into a new job with challenges and promising prospects, Lucille decided to go on vacation. It was mid-winter in New York and the travel agent suggested she should go south, and suggested Australia.

* * *

Lucille arrived at Sydney excited about the prospect of seeing kangaroos and koala bears in the wild and young blond men riding the waves at Bondi Beach just like she'd seen in brochures her travel agent had given her.

Now cast off from Mrs Graham, Lucille was alone in the world, but that didn't seem to bother her. She was confident with a gorgeous wardrobe and her appearance was just short of stunning. She was out to enjoy herself and forget about the hard-grind of working in the competitive clothing industry.

Lucille still possesses a photograph taken by a street photographer on the day of her arrival in Australia where she found her future lay.

More Coming