|
|
| |
A Perfect Fit
July, 2004
For the
past 25 years, women all over the world have found a
perfect fit in the clothes designed by Helen Gerro,
who now resides with her husband, Gregg Clark here
in Punta Gorda.
 Helen’s,
“Gerro Couture Ltd” apparel line could be found in
major department stores and hundreds of boutiques
throughout the country. Her designer fashions
includes hats, suits, coats and jackets, bathing
suits, casual separates, dresses, evening and
wedding gowns.
|
|
|
|
|
Feature Story:
|
| |
|
A Perfect Fit and Gerro Fashion
|
|
|
| |
Helen grew up in a large family of
two brothers and five sisters in the
small rural town of Upsala,
Minnesota. They were raised by their
Polish mother who taught school and
by their German father who made
living as a carpenter. Helen shared
her memories of her younger years -
“My parents taught us good values,
hard work, economics and honesty. I
look at all the things I learned
while growing up in a positive light
now, even though some lessons were
easier to learn than others.
However, there wasn’t always a lot
of room for individuality and
differences in a tiny town like
Upsala. I learned in different ways
and saw things through different
eyes than what was accepted there.
By age 18, I was more than ready to
see if it was easier to fit in -
with the outside world…I have found
that sometimes it is and sometimes
it isn’t.”
|
 |
 |
 |
Helen’s mother and her grandmother
were both excellent seamstresses.
Many young brides walked down the
aisle wearing one of her mother’s
beautifully designed wedding gowns.
Her grandmother’s dress designs were
considered somewhat flashy for that
time period. While Helen was
strongly influenced by both, her
designs have frequently pushed the
envelope taking on a more flamboyant
nature often displayed by her
grandmother.At
a fairly young age, Helen’s mother
recognized her middle daughter’s
creativity and interest in sewing.
So when she turned 9, her mother
gave her a box of old dresses and
set her up at the sewing machine.
And the rest we can say is fashion
history. That box of dresses led to
numerous, small fashion shows she
held in the backyard with her
friends.
|
|
Helen's Artistic Display |
Throughout her school years, Helen
often made her own personal fashion
statement. Her clothes were so
popular that it was hard to keep
them in her own closet, because her
girlfriends were always asking to
borrow them.
While in high school, she designed
bell bottoms with super-wide “bells”
and halter tops that were a big hit
with all the girls (and I’m sure
many of the guys). She frequently
held “trunk sales” in the girls’
locker room to sell her creations.
With encouragement from her friends
and family she held her first real
fashion show soon after graduating
from high school. She featured 60
different pieces of |
|
clothing which
were completed in just shy of 30
days. The Fashion Show was held at
the local Children’s Theater, with a
hired DJ to emcee the event and
fifteen of her friends to model her
new fashions. Her first show was a
smashing success and Helen realized
she might have what it takes to be a
fashion designer. Over the next 3
years she proved herself right while
producing over 100 successful
fashion shows.
However, even
with the success, Helen knew she
needed to learn more about the
fashion industry so she packed up
and moved to New York City. She
worked for the French Connection and
L’Air du Temps in the Garment
District in Manhattan. It was here
she immersed herself in the field
and was determined to learn
everything she could about the inner
workings of the apparel business.
She specifically learned the basics
of sales, showroom and modeling as
well as how to wholesale her own
designs. Financing proves to be the
biggest stumbling block for most
designers so Helen had to learn how
to look for and obtain financing.
After three years in New York, she
moved back to Minnesota where she
began selling her own Gerro Couture
LTD line to major department stores
and exclusive boutiques. “This is a
highly competitive business!” Helen
professed as she explained that she
has experienced all the emotional
ups and downs that are common in
this industry.
In 1996, she married her soul mate,
Greg Clark and they soon became
partners in both business and in
life.
|
|
 |
Helen and Greg designed a backpack
jacket. It made its debut under
their Tundra Wear, label. This
unique jacket is perfect for anyone
who sails, bikes, hikes or
participates in just about any
outdoor activity. The
transformational backpack jacket is
a go anywhere, do anything jacket.
They state that, “With this
backpack, you’ll never be without a
jacket, and with this jacket, you’ll
never be without a backpack.” The
jacket is made of 100% Taslan and is
machine washable. Steven
|
Spielberg’s
company, Dreamworks, ordered over a 1000 of
them.
Two years ago, Helen and her
husband, Greg Clark said goodbye to
the cold of Minneapolis, Minnesota
and made Punta Gorda their new home.
They found a building on E. Marion
that would become both their new
shop and their new home. They
started by offering alterations and
exclusive designs for their
customers. This allowed them time to
get to know the area and the type of
clothing that would work best in
Florida. Their long term goal is to
slowly evolve into a fun, one of
kind, contemporary women’s apparel
shop.
|
|
Gerro's Paradise Painting Series |
One of
their first requests for alterations
came from Matt Nemec, owner of
Tiki’s clothing store. He needed
someone to make minor alterations
for one of his customer’s. These
neighboring businesses soon formed a
working relationship as well as a
friendship.
Often, Greg and Helen’s clients
present them with uncommon and
extraordinary requests. A young
client who competes nationally |
Helen's Art & Pottery |
client who competes nationally
riding and showing horses had Helen
design a beautiful jeweled riding
jacket for a recent competition. A
short time ago, John Francis, a
resident of Punta Gorda contacted
Greg with a rather unusual request.
The company he works for, Motion
Analysis Studios, who produces video
animation for computer applications,
needed to have a complicated
clothing design made. Other
designers when approached to do the
project turned it down, saying it
couldn’t be done, but Greg knew
right away that Helen had the
capability to pull it off. And, she
did.
Another regular client of “A Perfect
Fit,” brings in close to thirty
t-shirts at a time to have the
sleeves altered to fit her husband’s
hefty biceps. He pitches for a fast
pitch softball team and needs the
extra sleeve room.
Helen designs exquisite wedding
gowns, elegant evening gowns as well
as casual separates. Many of the
ladies who attended the
Conquistadors Ball this year wore
Helen’s beautiful period gowns.
Through word of
mouth, “A Perfect Fit” is becoming
very well known. Ladies from Fort
Myers, Naples, Sarasota and Venice
have discovered Helen’s talents and
many have become regular customers.
Helen also has
an exclusive line, “La Mode” of
paintings and pottery that were
inspired by the art of fashion. Greg
is developing a website so they can
display and sell Helen’s paintings
and pottery online.
Helen and
Greg’s shop can be described as
similar to those found in Key West,
Amsterdam or perhaps New Orleans.
Plans are in the works to present a
new look for the shop to coordinate
with their new contemporary line of
Gerro Fashion apparel due out
in November. Currently the store
hours are 9am to 5pm Monday thru
Friday and by appointment on
Saturdays.
After meeting
this friendly, easy going couple
you’ll agree that they are a perfect
fit for Punta Gorda.
|
|
|
|
"If you are really living... you are enjoying the Punta Gorda
Life"
|
