I grew up in a family of educators in a small, midwest town where if a woman chose a profession outside of the home, she would become a nurse or a teacher. I was a born nurturer, with a drive to solve problems and remove obstacles to happiness and success for myself and others. I studied education and psychology in college while working with at-risk students at a low-income, urban elementary school; and with mentally ill adults at a community home. I saw a huge void in the availability and efficacy of supports that were needed to move them to a place of happiness and success. I made up my mind to pursue a career where I could build that much-needed support system. I earned my doctorate in School Psychology at Fordham University in NYC. During my 20 year career as a school psychologist I had the pleasure of working in multiple states - the rural and urban south, suburban west, and urban midwest. I worked with students ages 2 - 21, from all over the world, in privileged and challenged circumstances. This was my career while raising my 4 children, and my husband worked as an international business man in other states and countries.

Because my husband traveled frequently - up to 3 weeks at a time, my biggest challenge was being the mother I strove to be, cultivating deep connection and independence in my children, while not losing myself in the process. As a social person who moved from state to state for my husband's career, I made a point to dive head-first into any social opportunities that were available in our new towns - joining mom's books clubs, church, hosting play dates, moms’ happy hours, and business dinners. In 2005 we moved near my hometown in MI so that I could have family support, a walkable community for my children, and an already established social network for me while my husband was working in Asia. The help of my mother and many life-long friends made these years fun, stable years for me and my family.

As someone who always loved beautiful, fancy clothes, I made a point to dress up - wearing designer and vintage fashions to work, to social events, and even walking our dog. It made my suburban-mom life feel more sophisticated. My dilemma with high fashion was that most of the clothes were uncomfortable and high maintenance. I had no time in my life to deal with either. So I started to think about a way to solve this problem. I first started creating elevated innerwear garments to make clothes more comfortable and extend the number of wears between dry cleanings. After some time, I started thinking that the real challenge in women’s fashion was that designers needed to make chic clothing that was innately comfortable and easy-care. I had always loved the look of a smart, somewhat sexy button down - ala Tom Ford Gucci days, but never wore them because of the comfort and care issue. I decided this would be the first ready-to-wear garment to tackle. While I was making this shift, Margot finished her degree at Parsons and joined me in designing a sophisticated line of wardrobe essentials with luxury Italian technical fabrics. We launched Luxeire as a DTC, ready-to-wear brand later that year.  

Gina with her daughters, Margot and Gwyneth, in Luxeire.

Do not lose yourself. Set necessary limits to keep your interests alive and nurtured. The days with young children are long, but the years fly by. Try to enjoy the here and now as it will soon be gone, never to return; and life will move quickly to another stage. Parenting children at home is a small part of your long life. Don't neglect the importance of all of those other years. And when you kids make you crazy, remember you will mostly be the parent of adult children. Don’t let challenges of terrible 2's, awkward adolescence and defiant teen years destroy the relationship you have with each child.