Named after her maternal grandmother, Lillian Maria Springer was born on July 24, 1920 in Bridgeton, New Jersey. She fondly recalled a childhood spent with her sister, Dana Fekel, in Ocean City, New Jersey, where her mother ran the Dana Pastry shop. The sisters helped at the bakery which was only open during the summer when tourists flocked to the shore. After graduating from Ocean City High School in 1937, Lillian attended the Pennsylvania Museum School of Industrial Arts, now known

as the Philadelphia College of Art, where she studied costume design and graduated in 1941.

Lillian's first job was as an assistant designer for the lingerie manufacturer Laros Textiles in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. She then moved to New York City to design rainwear for......   Read More