From Paris to America
The Roger Kuper Years
After a five-year apprenticeship with Coco Chanel in Paris, I came to the United States at seventeen with only $12 in my pocket.
I dreamed of having my own business, but at first I could only find work as a sewing-machine operator. No one would believe that a seventeen-year-old could already be a fully trained fashion designer.
I started a fashion contracting business with $1,500 and expanded it into my own brand, Roger Kuper. It grew into a multimillion-dollar business selling to prestigious stores across the United States and around the world.
My early training in Paris gave my suede and leather fashions the unmistakable stamp of couture.
