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The seed for East Meets Western was planted about 100 years ago in Surajz, Belarus, when our grandmother, Sarah, pleaded with her father to allow her to learn dressmaking. Our great grandfather was very traditional and did not want his young daughter to learn a trade.

But Sarah, as she wrote in her diary, “begged and cried” and he finally relented. She learned dressmaking skills and then, at age 15, she went off to Alexandrovsk, in Russia, to open her own business making summer and winter wardrobes for the town’s women and children.

Fast forward to 1914. Sarah’s father decided to take the family to Canada but she did not want to leave her business, her freedom, and her friends. She eventually decided to go with the family but only because her boy friend turned out to be a gambler and a scoundrel. In Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada she married a wonderful man and had a family, and she continued to sew for her family as well as for paying customers.

Eventually they moved again, this time to Los Angeles. Sarah joined the International Ladies Garment Workers Union of America and worked for years as a sample maker for high-end dress makers. She loved to sew for her daughters and her granddaughters. We would bring her a nice fabric we acquired on our travels and she would make us something wonderful.

Her daughter, our mother, also sewed, but her love was needlepoint and, well, collecting textiles and interesting fabrics. Our father, too, was interested in textiles, although his passion was designing and hooking rugs. Their three daughters started collecting early. We bought loads of Bedouin embroidery, piles of Yugoslavian textiles, bolts from Indonesia, rugs, and yardage. So, it wasn’t surprising that the youngest, Paula, discovered websites where one could buy Japanese silk fabrics.

Two years ago our mother died and the three of us got together at Judy’s (the eldest) in New Mexico where she is a jeweler and silversmith. Paula brought some vintage Japanese silk fabric and we were admiring it. She said, “What can we do with this?” Alice said, “Let’s make cowboy shirts.” And, since none of us had any extra time, we launched East Meets Western. So, between Judy’s jewelry making and Paula’s work as a Classics Professor, and Alice’s law practice (Sarah said, “any one of them could have been a doctor.”) we have had wonderful excuses to get together to unroll bolts of fabulous kimono and haori fabric.

We had some limitations in what we could actually do with the fabric. The narrow width of the bolts made for some interesting design decisions, and the fact that no two bolts are alike means that the customer is guaranteed a unique shirt. Each shirt is laid out separately so that the fabric can really show itself off. Judy designed the snaps and the sterling silver buttons; she has also produced a wonderful new line of jewelry for East Meets Western that you can look at and order by clicking the jewelry link. We hope there is something for everyone. We also have accessories—scarves and purses—and if you continue to visit us, we will have additional items for you.

Our grandmother was not unique in that she brought her skills to the U.S. and was able to support her own family and could also send money back to Belarus to help those who stayed behind. Not so long ago a seamstress or tailor, sometimes working in terrible conditions in a large U.S. city, could manage to support his or her family and educate the next generation. Unfortunately, many of these jobs are now sent overseas and people who come here with real skills have no place to work. We are committed to providing the customer with exceptionally well-made garments that are produced from start to finish in the U.S. It is our small attempt to keep these skills alive and profitable right here at home.

Well, it is a long way from Surajz, Belarus, to East Meets Western. We think Sarah would be pretty amused. We know our mother would be enjoying this with us, giving us advice and helping to lay out the shirts.

Best wishes and happy trails,

Judy, Alice and Paula.