Meet our Team
LISA LIVES WITH HER HUSBAND, AND 2 SONS, PRESTON & CARTER
IN RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA.
​​FAVORITES
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Fashion Designers:
Elie Saab
Zimmerman
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Next Travel Destinations:
Versailles
Amalfi Coast
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Flowers:
Peony
Ranuculus
English Cottage Rose
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Season:
Spring
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Dog Breed:
Labradoodle
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Drink by Day:
Unsweetened Iced Tea
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Football Teams:
Florida State Seminoles
North Carolina Panthers
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Lisa Springsteel Dupre
Founder and CEO
​CAREER BACKGROUND & EDUCATION
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Lisa is the visionary founder and CEO of Launch Your Collection (LYC) and the acclaimed author of Becoming a Fashion Designer (Wiley), a book that has garnered global recognition since its publication in 2013, with translations into Mandarin (2015) and Arabic (2019). Lisa is also an adjunct professor at the Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship at Florida State University and will be teaching the first Apparel Entrepreneurship course from an accredited 4-year university beginning Fall 2024.
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​​She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Fashion Merchandising from Florida State University. With 19-years of experience in the New York fashion industry, she has held pivotal roles at the corporate headquarters of renowned apparel brands such as Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, Banana Republic, J. Crew, and J. Mendel. Her experience spans fashion design, merchandising, product development, fabric and trim research, development, and sourcing, sample development and production, branding, sales, promotion, and marketing.
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​​CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
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During her tenure at Ralph Lauren Corporation in New York, Lisa was honored to be among a select group of employees who participated in design meetings with Mr. Ralph Lauren, gaining invaluable insights from one of the fashion industry's most iconic designers. She also was the first fabric archives manager at Ralph Lauren corporation, in a position personally created by Mr. Ralph Lauren.
As the Fabric and Trim Manager for J. Mendel, Lisa was responsible for researching, developing, sourcing, and procurement of fabric and trim for four seasonal New York Fashion Week runway collections annually, celebrity clientele for various editorials and red carpet events, as well as for wholesale accounts, and retail locations worldwide.
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In a notable highlight of her fashion career, Oscar de la Renta invited her to present her original designs and illustrations for his Spring/Summer 2002 runway show, a testament to her innate creativity and exceptional talent.
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ROLE AT LYC
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In her role as founder of LYC, Lisa expertly orchestrates and oversees the entire launch process for clients across our emerging, established, and public figure apparel brand divisions. ​​​​​​Her mission is to simplify the complex process of launching an apparel brand, transforming it into a seamless, fun, and collaborative educational experience from inception to launch and beyond.
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EMILENY LIVES WITH HER SON AND DAUGHTER JUST OUTSIDE OF
NEW YORK CITY IN NEW JERSEY.
​​FAVORITES
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Fashion Designers:
Oscar de la Renta
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Travel Destinations:
Mexico
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Flowers:
Peony
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Season:
Spring
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Color:
Pink
Emileny Gonzalez
Director of Technical Design
​CAREER BACKGROUND & EDUCATION
Emileny studied fashion design at an early age while attending the prestigious High School of Fashion Industries in New York. After graduation, she earned an AAS degree in Patternmaking Technology and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design and Merchandising from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.
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​CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
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Emileny is a distinguished technical design expert with a multifaceted background in fashion design, product development, production, and graphic design. She freelances in New York, collaborating with top-tier fashion houses and apparel manufacturers. Emileny has refined her skills at prestigious brands such as Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Versace, Oscar de la Renta, and Escada, and has undertaken technical design projects for Lululemon Athletica and major retailers like Macy’s.
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ROLE AT LYC
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Since the founding of Launch Your Collection in 2012, Emileny has been our esteemed Director of Technical Design, guiding each client through the tech pack development process with unparalleled expertise. She is dedicated to realizing each client’s vision by crafting comprehensive technical packages that capture the aesthetic and technical essence of their designs. Emileny ensures a seamless transition with the apparel manufacturer by providing a precise roadmap for sample creation. She also leads each client fit session until final sample approval.
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NICOLE LIVES IN MIAMI,
FLORIDA WITH HER SON
​​FAVORITES
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Fashion Designers:
Ann Demeulemeester
Haider Ackerman
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Travel Destinations:
Antwerp
Buenos Aires
Marrakesh
Prague
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Flowers:
Miniature White Roses
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Season:
Summer & Fall
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Books:
Atomic Habits by James Cler
Jump by Kim Perell
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Cocktail:
Prosecco
Nicole Melendez,
Technical Designer
​CAREER BACKGROUND & EDUCATION
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Born and raised in Ponte, Puerto Rico, Nicole moved to New York and graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with dual degrees in fashion design and fashion merchandising.
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Nicole's specialty is leveraging 3D technology to aid apparel brands in fit solutions, technical packages, and prototyping services for design and development.
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​CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
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Nicole is a creative thinker and a results oriented fashion industry professional with sharp skills in designing and developing trend-focused women's sportswear and knitwear with a high rate of product adoption. Additionally, she has a successful track record as a technical designer and patternmaker. Nicole works with ongoing emerging and established fashion brands through her company, Habito Group and was honored to be hired by Lululemon for a recent technical design project. Nicole is the winner of the ELLE + Byco Design Challenge.
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ROLE AT LYC
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Nicole joined Launch Your Collection in 2022, as a technical designer. She works alongside our emerging fashion brand clients to produce their tech packs, lead each fit session, and communicate fit comments to the factory until final sample approvals. Her attention to detail is unmatched and she is a highly respected technical designer in the industry.
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MARY LIVES IN THE HUDSON
VALLEY IN NEW YORK AND SPENDS
2 DAYS PER WEEK IN NEW YORK CITY.
​​FAVORITES
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Fashion Designers:
Christian Dior
Alaia
Peter Do
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Travel Destinations:
Paris
Madrid
Florence
Vienna
Marrakesh
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Animal:
Horse
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Mary Bridgman
Fashion Illustrator
​CAREER BACKGROUND & EDUCATION
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Mary received a degree in studio art from Connecticut College and a degree in fashion design from Parsons School of Design in New York. In addition, she studied painting and drawing at the School of Visual Arts and the Art Student's League in New York City.
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Mary is a fashion illustrator and a professor of fashion design art at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City and Marist College, a private university in Poughkeepsie, New York.
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​CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
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May worked as a fashion designer at Ellen Tracy and Ralph Lauren and has created fashion illustrations for Ralph Lauren, Ann Taylor, Liz Claiborne and the Worth Collection.
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ROLE AT LYC
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Mary brings our client's clothing designs to life with her full color fashion illustrations that she creates of each of the designs in our client's apparel collections. We then use these fashion illustrations on the client website, in a media kit, social media, and in various marketing initiatives.
ELIZABETH LIVES IN MIAMI
WITH HER CHIHUAHUA.
​​FAVORITES
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Fashion Designers:
Chanel
Oscar de la Renta
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Travel Destinations:
Italy
Spain
Paris
Dominican Republic​​​
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Flowers:
Peony
Sweet Juliet Rose
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Season:
Summer & Winter​
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Dog Breed:
Long Hair ​Chihuahua
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Football Team:​
San Francisco 49ers
Elizabeth Micheli
Brand Designer
​CAREER BACKGROUND & EDUCATION
​Elizabeth is a seasoned branding expert with a dynamic career in journalism, public relations, and marketing. She earned her degree in Journalism and Communications with a concentration in Public Relations and a minor in Marketing from Florida International University. During her final year of college, Elizabeth joined Boxycharm, a burgeoning beauty brand, as an intern. Her exceptional skills and dedication quickly propelled her from intern to marketing manager, and ultimately to Chief Operating Officer. Elizabeth played a pivotal role in the company’s startup phase, immersing herself in every facet of branding, marketing, sales, and operations.
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​CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
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In 2014, Elizabeth ventured out on her own, founding EM Branding & PR to assist others in launching their businesses and refining their marketing strategies. After a year of navigating the challenges of marketing brands with weak branding, she pivoted her focus solely to branding design. In 2019, Elizabeth rebranded her business to EM Branding Studio, and in 2024, it evolved into Paire Design. Over nearly a decade, she has successfully led over 350 branding projects, both nationwide and internationally, establishing herself as a leader in the field of design and branding.
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ROLE AT LYC
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Elizabeth joined LYC in 2024 as the Brand Stylist, where she specializes in developing and refining fashion brand identities. Understanding that branding is the cornerstone of a successful business, she approaches her role with dedication and passion. Elizabeth thrives on creating beautiful and impactful brand identities that resonate with clients and elevate their fashion brands to new heights.
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COMING SOON
MARY LIVES IN THE HUDSON
VALLEY IN NEW YORK AND SPENDS
2 DAYS PER WEEK IN NEW YORK CITY.
​​FAVORITES
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Fashion Designers:
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Travel Destinations:
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Flowers:
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Season:
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Dog Breed:
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Drink by Day:
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Drink by Night:
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Dana Rupe
Costing, Planning, & Merchandising Manager
​CAREER BACKGROUND & EDUCATION
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Coming soon
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​CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
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Coming soon
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ROLE AT LYC
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Coming soon