Fashion designer Anya Ponorovskaya is as fierce and classically chic as her dynamic designs. From New York to Miami, her boutiques are a haven for jet-setting women who refuse to pay homage to any fleeting runway trends and, instead, seek visionary ultra-femme styles, reminiscent of 1940’s luxury and crafted meticulously for the modern maven. Whether it is one of her brilliantly elaborate suede handbags, ferocious kitten heels, or signature reversible A-line dresses, Ponorovskaya’s designs exude a timeless elegance throughout- fast becoming staples in every girl’s closet, from the big city vixen to the suburban fashionista. Known for her gift of transposing an almost forgotten generation of fashion and making it relevant to the times, no matter what the season, Ponorovskaya has officially redefined the meaning of class for women all over the world. Her story is a testimony of tenacity, style, and the power of jewel-toned rhinestones. Having immigrated from St Petersburg to New York as a young child, Ponorovskaya was exposed to European fashions at an early age and developed her distinctive take on cosmopolitan style with this in mind. In her aesthetic, this Russian-born artiste has been compared to the greats of fashion history- Balenciaga, Nina Ricci, Christian Dior- although her loyal aficionadas would hardly refer to her as “commercial”. Each piece in her collection reflects a sense of intimacy between the designer and the enthusiast by its handmade originality and tailored construction of its make. By the ripe age of 23, Ponorovskaya had heard her calling loud and clear and stopped at nothing to make it happen. Working two jobs to pay her way through New York City’s prestigious FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology), she immersed herself in the technique, business, and art of fashion. She spent her last year of school in Florence, Italy -the city that brought the world Gucci, Ferragamo, and Roberto Cavalli, to name a few- and she was in for a surprise final exam. Upon discovering that she was expecting the unexpected, Ponorovskaya consulted her maternal instinct and decided it best to head back to the “big apple”. In 1998, shortly after she conceived her son, she gave birth to a new era in fashion. $300 in one hand and baby Dima in the other, Ponorovskaya turned her back on eager investors sure to distort her definitive vision, and walked right into her first fashion venture, opening a sharp little boutique in the up and coming area of NoLita (Northern Little Italy) in Manhattan. Neighbors stopped to watch this incandescent redheaded marvel of a lady lugging sheet rock across the street as she took on her own store renovations and created her fashion chapel in her own light. Her New York trademark “Girlcat”, a pet name used in love and reserved for her closest of childhood friends, was the name of her first store, then her 2nd, and finally her 3rd as it opened to the public in Brooklyn during the Fall fashion season of 2007. This powerhouse designer even created a small workshop in the back of her boutique and continues to manufacture her meticulous pieces in the garment district of New York to this day. A collaboration with a gifted Peruvian cobbler in 2008, lead to the Anya Ponorovskaya shoe collection, which proved to be the perfect complement to the tradition of sophistication already captured by her illustrious clothing line. With her franchise expanding, fan-base growing, and the fickle New York market safe under her silken ivory corset, Ponorovskaya sought to conquer the next thriving metropolis and was lead to a city that could use a fresh outlook on glamour and grace- Miami, Florida. She found solace in a brightly lit storefront in the pioneering enclave of Miami’s Design District, writhe with visionaries in the arts specializing in everything from photography to interiors. Ponorovskaya's brazen move to this area, known more for its culinary delights and modern art than for masterly crafted high-fashion looks, proved victorious. The savvy designer, always a trendsetter and now a seasoned entrepreneur, was soon welcoming neighbors as they followed suit, namely Christian Louboutin, Lanvin, Marni, and even those testing the waters with "pop up" boutiques such as Duncan Quinn and Cynthia Rowley. Her Miami boutique was the first in the world to carry the Anya Ponorovskaya label exclusively, and set the tone for what the future will hold for the tenacious brand as it makes its mark around the globe.