For the past 13 years Mary Bays has been on the forefront of great American design- A Southern Girl at heart, Mary grew up in Beckley, West Virginia- as a child Mary always loved fashion and dreamed of becoming a designer. Mary credits her love of fashion to her mother’s sense of elegance and style. Her path to becoming a respected designer began at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and continued through her internship with the Donna Karan Collection. Mary credits much of her success in the industry to the foundation she received in the presence of one of America’s greatest designers.

 

After her departure from Donna Karan, Mary rediscovered her love of evening and couture clothing while working as an assistant for Victoria Royal. There, she honed her skills as an eveningwear designer. Her close collaboration with the directors over three years resulted in her advancement to the position of head designer for the Victoria Royal label in 1996. During her 13 year tenure as design director for the Victoria Royal Collection, Mary had the opportunity to dress such notables as Hillary Clinton, Vanna White, Mary Hart, Queen Latifah, Patti La Belle, Brandy and the cast of friends.

 

This solid foundation in eveningwear has allowed Mary to explore a unique approach to ready to wear with the launch of the Mary Bays New York Collection in Fall 2008. With this new endeavor, her goal is to provide women of all ages with clothing of superior quality and craftsmanship that will be a “go to” piece in their wardrobe for years to come. The collection features fine fabrics from all over the world with exquisite beading and details that have been crafted to have couture look with unparallel value.

 

The Mary Bays New York Collection is a true designer collection that has a New York sophistication with a feminine touch. The collection encompasses day dresses, cocktail dresses, suits and eveningwear. It is a true designer collection at a better price point. I am marketing this to all of my customers who love the New York life and who want to live it!” Each style is limited to 100 pieces worldwide and each dress is numbered so that each customer truly feels like she has purchased a piece of art.  Each collection is inspired by her life and adventures in this great city. When she starts to design a collection she takes inspiration from the art, music and energy that the city has to offer.  The Mary Bays Collection is available exclusively via her website Mary Bays New York.com.

 

In addition to her industry involvement, Mary teaches on faculty at three New York City Fashion Colleges.