Helen Xenakis

True style is timeless and ageless and Helen Xenakis is living proof of this adage. Involved in the fashion business since her teens, she has seen and done it all! Meet a genuine "fashionista!"

Pink: Helen, your journey is remarkable. How and when did you start in the fashion business.
Helen: It seems I have always been in the business. My first sales job was when I was fifteen, and in my "retirement" I have a part time sales job at the Crowne Plaza Gift Shop. It was a natural fit from the beginning. I never had any desire to do anything else. I joined a retail executive training program upon graduation from college, and had my first buying job at twenty-three. For the next twenty-five years I worked as a fashion buyer for major retail companies including Macy's and Sears. I transitioned seamlessly (no pun intended) into education, joining the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City as their Internship Director. I managed a department that developed sponsor companies and placed students in both domestic and international internships throughout the fashion industry.

P: After such a successful career, do you have any tips for the rest of us when shopping for clothes?
H: I think my most important insight is that fashion must change and evolve to entice customers to buy. Fashion is a business like any other. They must make money to survive. Therefore styles must change and evolve to entice the consumer to update, buy new, and spend. Do you actually "need" that item of clothing or accessory, or do you want it because the industry has made it appealing? I guess my best tip is the old one you hear every day-Buy what suits YOU.

P: What are some of the major changes you have witnessed in the world of fashion?
H: Fashion comes at us from all angles today - designers, television, movies, advertising and so forth. Because of the speed and the consumer's need to have new looks and garments, a lot of quality has been lost. Much of what is produced today, with the exception of couture, is of poor quality and not long lasting. Disposable fashion is the trend.

P: Share your thoughts on the "outlet phenomenon".
H: Originally, outlet stores were just that, company stores adjacent to factories to sell the manufacturer's over-production of garments and/or accessories. As retail buyers stopped re-ordering, the producers had better control over inventory and they could produce only the amount ordered with a great degree of accuracy. Therefore, they no longer had this excess inventory. To fill the racks of their outlet stores, many makers turned to producing garments specifically for their outlets, and the result is items that are not necessarily of the same quality fabric or construction as their main line. This is not always the case, but it happens more often than you would imagine.

P: Do you have any "celeb" stories?
H: My favorite will always be Bob Mackie's 2000 exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Technology Art Gallery. He even included the famous Scarlett O'Hara "drapery rod" worn by Carol Burnett in her television show! He used to design exclusively for Cher too.

P: Finally, Helen, tell us about your life since leaving the fast-paced fashion world and settling into the Lowcountry.
H: The Island has afforded me with so many wonderful opportunities to volunteer. I am active as a docent with the Coastal Discovery Museum and as a member of the S.H.A.R.E. senior center advisory board. I am a member and co-founder with my dear friend Pat Foley, of the Shipyard Women's Club in Shipyard Plantation. We do many good works and some grant distribution too. My club and volunteer activities keep me busy, but I always have time for my Bridge and Mah Jong games. In addition, I follow my passion for writing. Life is good!