The feather's unceremonious fall from a symbol of wealth and elegance in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to one of vulgarity--from the hats of fashionablewomen to the heads of Kewpie dolls--is not only a story of the fickleness of the fashion industry.
He once had loftier aims: During the 1960s Herman designed fashionable lower-priced women's clothing under the label Mr. Mort, which was sold to Russ Togs.
"When I started my business six years ago, there was very little choice for women who wanted fashionable maternity clothes, " says Lange, who also has three boutiques selling higher-priced styles for soon-to-be mommies.