Miller, Nicole

(1952- )

   Born in Lenox, Massachusetts, Miller attended the Rhode Island School of Design and the Chambre Syndicale de la haute couture in Paris. She began designing under her own label in 1982 creating her "hip smock dress," which was an instant sellout. She and her partner Bud Konheim opened the first Nicole Miller store on Madison Avenue in New York City in 1986. Miller is best known for her evening dresses and dramatic graphics and prints. While her theater ticket print was a bomb as a silk dress, it was an instant hit as a tie and was the accidental start of her very popular neckwear collection. She pioneered the use of actresses as runway models and has a diversified range of products that bear her name: womenswear, menswear, golfwear, outerwear, accessories, cosmetics, fragrances, and a Bed, Bath, and Beyond home line. In 2003, during L.A. Fashion Week, she launched "millergirl," a contemporary line. In 2004, Miller partnered with Donkenny Apparel, Inc., to produce three new lines: women's suits, sweaters/knits, and better sportswear. In 2005, she launched Signature, a red-carpet collection, and Nicole by Nicole Miller, a line of affordable clothes sold exclusively at J. C. Penney's. She also launched a lingerie line where she chose strippers as models and staged the show at a Manhattan Strip Club. Together with partner Konheim, they own and operate thirty freestanding Nicole Miller boutiques and sell to upscale retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. Miller is an active fundraiser for multiple charities and was named a celebrity cabinet member of the American Red Cross.