Last week I put the finishing touches to this glorious red dress and sent it on its way to New York for a client who will attend the Tony Awards on Broadway in a few days’ time. She will not feature on any of the artiste lists at the ceremony as her involvement in theatre is as an investor. An unsung but essential community of supporters whose generosity of pocket and of spirit has sustained theatre from its very beginnings. It’s not for nothing they are often called ‘angels’

When I first started business in the UK it was through a company I created called ‘The Concert Store’. Music is a great passion of mine, and this business brought me into contact with a wide range of concert performers. Mary Carewe was one of my early clients and here she is pictured with her duet partner Sara Eyden at the Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool performing at a Bernstein Spectacular with the conductor Carl Davies. Later in July Mary flies to the States to perform in