George Collins Sharp

Appointed vice president of design for Ellen Tracy in April 2005, British-born George Sharp brings more than 20 years of experience to the iconic American ready-to-wear brand.

Holding various design positions during his career, Sharp has been involved in fabric development/ research, concept development and design, illustration, fitting and checking of garments and the selling and styling of the final collection. He became involved in fashion by default. In 1983, his final year in college, Sharp created his own collection called Armstrong Collins Sharp, sold in upscale stores in London and his own freestanding store.

His various jobs in the fashion world included head of Escada, the Munich, Germany-based fashion house, a position he assumed in 2001. At Escada, Sharp had extensive interaction with such American retailers as Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue, excellent experience for his current design position at Ellen Tracy, an all- American label founded by Herbert Gallen in 1949 as a blouse company. The brand has since morphed into an American institution, now offering a complete wardrobe of day and evening clothes, and accessories for women, including eyewear and sunglasses under a licensing agreement with ClearVision Optical.

In fact, the Ellen Tracy brand was instrumental in initiating the concept of a total wardrobe for the working woman. Sharp has begun giving his own British twist—a luxed up look—to the line, without ever forgetting the Ellen Tracy customer.