The Fashion Designer

The Fashion Designer by Nancy Moser is a powerful story of a young woman's courage to trust God to fulfill her dreams. Annie, a former housemaid and pattern designer, has dreams of designing dresses for the working woman and of having her own shop. The journey she takes as doors that open (or sometimes close) to her and her friends is almost magical. The author blends in history (an interesting presidential election, women's rights, the beginnings of the Lane Bryant clothing empire), romance, and faith in a God who loves unconditionally, who gives second chances and who fulfills dreams to tell this charmingly delightful story of a young woman's lofty hopes. The characters are compelling, believable and likable. Readers will cheer for, cry with and be drawn into the lives of Annie, Maude, Vesta, Henrietta, and others. The author deals well with the gritty and sometimes desperate subjects of marital discord, domestic violence, and assault, which adds reality and depth to the book. The story flows well and has a few "oh, no!" moments where one wonders how will this turn out! As one character notes, God doesn't deal with luck but with blessing. The Pattern Artist is a fascinating and inspiring novel of a spirited woman and her friends who choose to realize their dreams and find love and faith as well. Although it is second in a series, The Fashion Designer is easily a stand-alone story. For more reading enjoyment, I recommend picking up the first book, The Pattern Artist, too. At the end of the book, the author includes a list of discussion questions, pictures related to some of the characters and fashions from the early 1900s. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions are my own.

As The Fashion Designer by Nancy Moser starts, changes in society were great or were imminent. Women were tired of sitting at home, unable to do more than silently support their men. They wanted the right to be included in the working force, and also the right to vote. They wanted a new sense of purpose. In this sequel to the Pattern Artist, Annie and Sean are now married, and Annie, Maude, and Edna have a big purpose-to start a fashion company for the average working woman... or so they think... I enjoyed seeing how humans planned, but God Himself came to the rescue time after time. I liked that when one person would get discouraged, another would pick up the mantle of encourager. It was interesting to see how one person of faith and vision could influence so many others. Annie succeeded because she trusted in God and she well understood her mission. “We're offering our customers more than just a dress,” Annie said. “We're offering them the chance to embrace their choice to be a modern woman.” At times the book had a “Grace Livingston Hill” feel to it, as there were so many singles starting out who rather quickly found God's choice of partner. I would have preferred a few less main circle characters and storylines, and a little more fleshing out of the forerunners. Bottom line: while this was not one of the fastest books I've read, it was great for gaining insight into the mindset of the American woman in the early 1900's. I recommend this book. It can stand alone. I gratefully received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way influenced my opinions. I was not required to leave a positive review.