It would be hard for Laurie Mallet to grow up in Paris, the fashion capital of the world, without developing an incredible sense of style. Her mother predicted fashion trends and fashion colors for large corporations. Her step-father was a well known artist. Together they designed underwear and stockings for ready-to-wear industries. After her graduation from Institut d’etudes Politiques she knew fashion would be her calling. In 1976 she moved to New York, took five thousand dollars and turned it into a forty million dollar fashion empire. As owner, president and CEO of Williwear she, with her design partner Willi Smith, changed with world of fashion in the 1980s by developing an incredibly successful brand and fashion line which combined her love of fashion and art. She forged an alliance between well known artists and designers which still exists today. Williwear’s fashion shows, press parties and uniquely designed offices and showrooms are still talked and written about today. Laurie opened headquarters in New York, Paris and London achieving an international level of awareness and acceptance of their innovative designs. After Willi’s demise she took in the Pressmans of Barney's as partners. They eventually sold the brand to TJ Maxx. In 1997 she bought the sock company E.G. smith and introduced a highly successful line of fashion socks. Still desirous of developing a brand and a look that would set her apart from all other sock manufacturers she sold E.G. smith back to Eric Smith and founded Ozone Design. The rest is history.
