HOW DID THESE DRESSES FACILITATE MEGAN ARGIRO'S CAREER MOVE FROM CAPTIAL HILL TO SAKS FIFTH AVENUE AND NEIMAN MARCUS? Argiro('91) has always been a team player. She took her economics and political science dual degree to Washington, D.C., to serve as a committee staffer for three U.S. senators. On Sen. John McCain's staff, Argiro says that the team worked hard to reduce government spending, but creating change in the nation's capitol is a tedious process. So, in 1997, Argiro teamed up her business and marketing acumen with her sister's fashion design, and the duo are making a mark on the nation's fashion capital -- New York. When the sisters launched their first line of dresses, offers for their ready-to-wear and couture lines began pouring in from Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf-Goodman. In 2002, the sisters' gown, "The Present," was chosen as a Top 5 finalist in NBC Today show's wedding contest. The summer-long series allowed viewers to vote on every aspect of a chosen couple's wedding, including the bridesmaid dresses. The Argiro sisters' bridesmaid gown -- a finalist among esteemed designers Vera Wang, Jenny Yoo and Amsale -- caught the eye of New York's fashion elite. The sisters' next goal is to open a by-appointment retail salon, which Argiro says is "a new concept in retailing which really focuses on personal attention." Learn more about the Argiro sisters' fashionable teamwork in a Montpelieronline feature.

by Allison Mall ('04) at www.jmu.edu/monty.

www.kathlinargiro.com