When her peers convinced her there was a great need for a fashion designer who understood the needs of business women, the Rolling Hills Estates resident combined her work experience with her side interest in design and led women's professional wear in a new direction. Using conservative power colors and quality materials with feminine flair, women no longer had to walk into offices looking like men or victims of undesirable fashion statements.

"Fashion isn't appropriate for business - always," she says. " A lot of women want to look fashionable and feminine, but they also want to look powerful."

The "Ally McBeal" look - bare legs and tight, short skirts - may be the rage on the runway, but in the real world it won't earn a woman respect in the boardroom or the courtroom. "When you walk into a room, you often get one shot," says Pierce. "These are people who are closing big deals."

Since starting her company in 1983, Pierce created classics wardrobes that survive not only fashion trends but time. Pierce uses high-quality natural fibers and local craftsmanship. Her jackets feature buttons make of bone, pearl, crystal and glass, hand-sewn buttonholes and tailoring arrows, French seams and small inside pockets for business cards. Each piece sports an embroidered label identifying it as a Pierce Collectible.

"Our pieces are all limited edition … our pieces are collectible," says Pierce. "That's how we feel about it. It's not at all the way the garment industry thinks about clothing. All the jackets have a limited edition number.

Vintage appeal

Dressing for success, an adage from the 80's that still applies today, can be costly for some women who make less money that their male counterparts - a female's earnings average just 72 percent of their male colleagues, according to recent study by the U.S. Government's Glass Ceiling Commission.

With the need for quality and the appeal of low prices, vintage clothing has become an option for many women. Pierce's once-a-year MasterPiece Program, a resale event held each July, has grown into a yearlong program.

On Dec. 27, Pierce launched the Vintage Clothing Program. Located at the company's headquarter's in Torrance, she has dedicated a full showroom to the vintage collection - coming from recent collections and going back 20 years. Because her pieces are classic and coordinated, shoppers can easily pair the vintage collection with modern pieces.

"Our clothing as a distinct look," she says. "We manufacture everything to go together…jacket, pants, skirts that all coordinate."

Pierce is strict when it comes to which pieces she will accept for the Vintage Clothing Program. All garments must be in perfect condition before she places them in the showroom. The quality of the garments, says Pierce, is what makes them resalable. Pierce's vintage collection is affordably priced. Suits begin at $100, jackets at $75 and blouses from $50. Sizes range from misses 2 to 16, and are generously cut.

Pierce instituted the resale program because she wants women to build usable wardrobes. "A woman shouldn't have anything in her closet she doesn't wear," she says.

Giving back

Because what you wear makes a big impression on others, Pierce donates some of her clothing to organizations like Working Wardrobe and Clothes the Deal. These organizations give the clothing to women who cannot afford it and are entering or re-entering the workplace.

"This is a woman's company," Pierce says. "Our focus is on supporting women."

Master Design is located at 24548 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance, CA 90505.
The showroom is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment.
For more information, call 310.375.6361 or visit the company's Web site at www.masterdesignclothing.com