An emblem of her era

Ana Pacheco | For The New Mexican

12/1/2008 - 11/25/08

Poodle skirts are an image for those who came of age in the 1950s, but for Annabel Ballard, 96, they have provided more than just memories. "They paid for my daughter's education," she says. "Her tuition went from $200 a year to $600, which was a lot of money back in those days."

The original creator of the poodle skirt, Ballard was not only able to send her daughter to the Crain Country Day School in Santa Barbara, Calif., she also supported her family, bought a home and purchased prime California beachfront property, all from the success of her creative inspiration. Even today, a cursory search on the Internet yields page upon page of sites selling poodle skirts.

It was in 1948 that Ballard and her next-door neighbor began working out of her garage creating this enduring 1950s icon. "I sold my 1937 Buick for $50 and used that as the startup money," she says.

Her neighbor, Michael Jaffrey, had been a model in New York and was familiar with the world of high fashion. It was Jaffrey who sold their first order of 60 poodle skirts to Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. As Ballard recalls, "Michael said, 'Well, if we're going to sell them, we might as well start at the top.' "

The idea of using the image of a poodle on a skirt came about when Ballard and her daughter went shopping for a puppy in Montecito Village and fell in love with the poodle puppies. For reasons that Ballard no longer remembers, the puppy never made it home, but a chenille version of it did find its place on a skirt. As the business grew, Ballard added merry-go-round horses, ballerinas and mushroom images to the line of skirts.

She attributes her early success with the business to a man who sold her the first batch of rhinestones for the skirts. As she recalls, "We went to the wholesale district in Los Angeles, and this vendor was curious as to why we were buying so much felt wool, velvet ribbon and rhinestones. When we told him what we were doing, he advised us by saying, 'Don't buy too much, just get what you need for now and see how well they sell.' That was the best business advice I ever received."

As the small venture grew, Ballard recruited help from other neighbors and fellow members of the Junior League Society. Before long, the skirts were being distributed throughout the country. Neiman Marcus sold them in its catalog for several years.

Seven years later, Ballard sold the company to Jaffrey and concentrated on helping her husband with his photography studio.

Annabel Noland Ballard was born on March 18, 1912, in El Centro, Calif. She was married to Shreve Ballard for 47 years. Shreve died in 1984. He was a contemporary and friend of Ansel Adams. He started his career as an insurance executive, but his true love was working as a photographer. Ballard says both of her older sisters had dated Shreve, but she knew that one day she would be the one to marry him. "I was just letting my sisters take care of him for me," she says.

In 2007, Ballard moved to Santa Fe to be close to her only child, Pam Springall. Both her daughter and grandson inherited her creative flair, making components pieces that are sold to jewelers around the world. In addition to spending time with them, she also enjoys seeing her great-great-grandson, Colten Seville.

Ballard is a resident of the RainbowVision retirement community, which she loves because many of the new friends she's made there share in both her creative and artistic interests. "When my neighbors found out that I was the one that created the poodle skirt, they became very excited, because that was part of their era and it brought back so many memories," she says.

Ana Pacheco is the founder and publisher of La Herencia, a culture and history magazine (www.herencia.com, 505-474-2800). Her weekly tribute to our community elders appears every Tuesday.