Francine Simmons has always made it a point to set herself far apart from her competition. While growing up in Newark, Delaware, Francine set her sights high right from the very start. By the age of 12, she was sewing her own clothing and by high school, she designed her own homecoming and prom dresses. Francine continued her passion for fashion as a student at Syracuse University where she received several awards for her captivating and unique fashion designs. In 1998, she graduated Sigma Cum Laude and shortly afterwards, interned with famed designers Betsy Johnson and Nanette Lepore. She then went on to work as an assistant designer at Finity and in 2002, she was appointed to head designer at Central Park West. Itching to get her name out there and to create a company of her own, Francine launched her line By Francine, which used vintage detailing to create fresh new looks. Soon her designs locked in orders from Intermix, Nordstrom, Harvey Nichols HK, Fred Segal, Lisa Kline, Planet Blue, Macy’s, Bloomingdales, Anthropolgie, and over 300 specialty stores across the world. Additionally, her clothing has appeared in major magazines such as US Weekly, Lucky, and Nylon, and have been worn by celebs Britney Spears and Elizabeth Hasslebeck.
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