ONE NSO

ank mana
turns to.

AFTER -15 -years. in’ the
banking business, Elle
Thompson. decided she
needed a change.

¢ By KIM PEMBERTON
; “News Reporter

‘= The ° 35-year-old’ North » Van-
couver woman quit her job as an
assistant manager.at the Bank of
Nova Scotia in August and started
“taking small business courses.

By November she began. a
business selling dolls’. clothing,
which recently expanded to include
children’s clothing. ue

She chose this type of business:

out of a personal interest and skill
in design. ;
“‘There are lots of people who
* do dolls’ clothes, but I wanted to
-do “something different ‘and. in
‘good taste,’’ said the’ mother of
one. . ; , —
Something different turned out

tobe designing similar. outfits for .

both doll and child, using up-to-
. date fashions and materials. -,

’ Royal Mall. LC

She noticed. her. own ‘three
year old, Emily,: preferred to play
with the doll that was wearing
fashionable, contemporary clothes
instead: of the doll wearing old-
style clothes made of leftover ma-
terial. ;

“t-find children are quite in-
telligent and they'll play more with
a toy they can identify with,’ she

“said.” .

Emily, for instance, learned how
to’ dress: herself after practising
dressing the dolls with clothes that
would button and zip, she said. -

“She’s also started developing
her own: tastes. Which is nice,
because we impose so much on our
children,’’ she said.

Thompson, who-has a:degree in
design from Chelsea School of Art
in London, England, was able to
use her experience at the school for
the first time-in making a living.

‘While. she’ initially sewed. the
clothes, Thompson said she prefers
to let two seamstresses do the sew-
ing and she continues to design.

Thompson’s collection -of
handmade clothes can be purchas-
ed through Windsor Toys at Park

,

tea ee es ae we ey AE 1 NEWS photo Nell Lucente ,
‘-BANKER TURNED doll dressmaker, Elle Thompson, and. her. daughter,’ Emily, show off ‘some ofthe’ | Pat
custom-made dolls’ clothes Ele makes from her home. Emily has a collection of clothes that matches her doll’s. - ;

wardrobe... .. ee oe

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