Grace V. Edwards, age 75, of Brooklyn, NY, passed away on Saturday, October 12th. Born on October 4th, 1949, in Santiago City, Isabela, Philippines, she was the daughter of the late Hilarion Briones and Avelina Geronimo.
Grace travelled the world in her early years and later spent time in Madrid and Rome with her husband and children. When they moved back to the U.S. in 1993, she began working at Little Caledonia in the Georgetown section of Washington, DC. Renowned as the ‘bastion of civility’ and frequented by politicians, spies, and writers (Kitty Kelley was a friend), Grace loved it and brought her four-year-old daughter, Maria, to the store as her assistant in the toy room.
In February 2000, Grace’s son, Scotty, tragically passed away from an asthma attack. This led to a move to Brooklyn, NY, to be closer to her other son, Joey. And slowly, as the darkness cleared, and the vibe from New York took hold, a light emerged. Grace discovered an inner talent and passion for fashion design.
Grace began her career creating one-of-a-kind avant-garde club wear. Thought of as an underground designer, she liked the idea of appealing to the nightlife crowds around the world. "My clothes are meant to move and flow while on a dance floor in New York, Manila, London, and Tokyo". Grace's philosophy was that 'fashion design comes from the soul and is a natural reflection of one's past experiences'.
Grace began having fashion shows at the clubs on Manhattan’s west side. She met promoter, Herbert Fox, who became a dear friend and organizer of almost all of Grace’s shows including her last in September 2023, when she had her ‘Blame it on Rio’ show at the Copacabana. It was also during the early years that Grace first met Zelda Kaplan. This began an extraordinary friendship between the up-and-coming designer and the New York nightlife icon. The long lines at the clubs would part like the Red Sea when the two came walking up to the door.
In 2005, Grace was selected as a participant in the AOL Entrepreneur online reality series, "The Startup." Her business, Grace Edwards New York, Inc. was one of three businesses chosen out of over 2,000 candidates and the only New York business spotlighted. "The Startup" chronicled a day in the life of each of the entrepreneurs, with filming starting in August 2005, and continuing for 58 weeks. The program first aired online on November 1st, 2005.
This led to Grace opening her own studio in New York's Chelsea neighborhood, which became the best well-kept secret in town amongst New York society hipsters. Her clients included New York's young celebrities and rock stars, underground artists/designers, and Wall Street moguls.
In February 2012, Grace moved the entire contents of her studio in New York to Manila, Philippines, when she felt it was the right time to change scenery, believing that when you follow your heart and soul, success will always be around the corner. After six years in the Philippines, Grace returned and had a successful five more years of shows, digital marketing, and photo shoots, while living back in Brooklyn. Grace lived her life to the fullest, and those who were a part of it were swept up by her loving, caring nature. Her love was pure, and if she loved you, you knew it. If she didn’t think too highly of you, you knew that too.
Grace is survived by her adoring husband of more than 40 years, Jack, her children, Joey (Yvette) and Maria (Mitchell), siblings, Aurora in Toronto, Canada, and Rudolfo (Delia) in San Isidro, Isabela, Philippines, and is the auntie to many nieces and nephews. Along with her parents, she was preceded in death by her son, Scotty, and six older brothers and sisters.
A Celebration of her Amazing Life will be held this Saturday, October 19th, from 3pm to 6pm at 198 N. 4th Street, in Williamsburg.
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