Jackie Fraser-Swan has been on the fashion fast track since the age of eight, when she first started sketching her own designs.
And after a brief stint at the School of Fashion Design in Boston in 2009, Fraser-Swan decided she was ready to strike out on her own with a collection geared toward the "powerful and free-spirited modern woman" and inspired by a very famous family member.
"I am a descendent of Ralph Waldo Emerson," said Fraser-Swan. "My family heritage is very important to me and Ralph Waldo Emerson's individualist philosophies certainly coincide with my design aesthetic.
As the owner and sole designer of EMERSON, Fraser-Swan faces the constant challenge of juggling her creative responsibilities with the tasks of running a growing business.
So far she's succeeding; just a year after inception, her line has scored high profile media placements from the likes of "Women's Wear Daily" and HarpersBazaar.com. Perhaps most importantly, the Fashion Week newbie is set to debut her Spring 2012 collection in front of the biggest names and most influential taste-makers in the industry.
These women, made famous through modeling, show they have brains as well as beauty when it comes to business.
