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Jo Copeland
Jo Copeland was an American fashion designer., made famous for her innovation and interesting use of fabric

Early Life
Copeland was born in New York City in 1899, the third child to Samuel and Minna Copeland. Her mother was a talented pianist and her father a scholar and travelling salesman who remarried shortly after Copeland’s mother died while giving birth to her. This led to there being nine children in the family.

Early Career
Jo Copeland had attended and graduated from the Arts Student’s League and Parsons School of Design, both in New York. She began working as a designer at age 20 to help put her brothers through Harvard Law School. She began selling fashion sketches to Pattullo Modes from which she remained for several years until leaving to start her own business. Four years later, she returned and became partner of the label, Pattullo-Jo Copeland Inc. This made her one of the first designers from the US to named publicly on the manufacture’s label and advertisements. This was a huge accomplishment in her career and she kept close relations with the brand until 1970.

During the 1920’s, the American fashion industry was profoundly influenced by Parisian trends and had yet to establish a style of its own [REFERENCE NEEDED]. This was when Copeland first started her career and helped to create a distinct American appearance with her dresses. She travelled to Paris frequently and throughout Europe but consistently added her own unique flair to each of her designs.

Signature Technique
Copeland can be acknowledged mostly for her “two-piece suit” which was commonly worn with a blouse. Copeland regarded her creations as a lot more than just clothes, they were costumes, ensembles that underwent a terrific amount of detail to be finalised and ready for viewing, let alone wearing. She worked with many different silhouettes during her career but always kept them feminine, specifically with a small waist and narrow shoulders much like her own. These designs were intricately constructed straight onto the figure rather than toiles allowing for a more dynamic and stylish approach. However, this made every Jo Copeland construction very expensive due to its remarkable quality.[GIVING SOME EXAMPLES WOULD ENHANCE THE TEXT]

Noteable Work
During 1966, according to a newspaper article, Copeland had teamed up with Mary G. Roebling who was Chairman of the Board of Trenton Trust Company. This project would be to present an exhibition called "Bride in Fashion" by which they would showcase wedding dresses throughout history, specifically from Maria Monroe to the present.

Awards
Jo Copeland had remarkable success throughout her 50 year old career. In 1944, she was awarded the Neiman-Marcus Award for best designer of the year. She also received a citation from the Philadelphia Museum of Art and an award for the Fediration of Jewish Philanthropies. Her designs managed to further win awards from the Philadelphia Fashion Group, La Courtoise de France and the American Silk Assosiation.

Furthermore, she had a place on the faculty of the Fashion Institue of Technologhy and advisory boards of the Parsons School of Design and Stevens College based in Missouri. Copeland was also President of the Manhattan Industrial Home for the Blind and a supporter of the Girls’ Club of New York.