Prashi Shah doesn't exactly fit the Bedford stereotype. At 17, she left her hometown and moved to New York to study fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. From there, she worked in design and color development for the well-known designer Bill Blass, picking up enough confidence and experience to move back to Dallas and create her own label, Prashe (www.prashe.com). Shah's big break came in 2002 when a high-end New York retailer, Henri Bendel, picked up her line of cosmetic bags. She now sells handbags, skirts, tanks, and knickknacks to big-name stores like Nordstrom, as well as to local hot spots such as Jean Connection, Charmed by Melissa, and Movida. Shah travels the world for inspiration but still calls Dallas her home. "There is so much opportunity here, and its a growing city." she says. Thanks to her, it's a stylish one, too.

written by Stephanie Quadri first published in D Magazine October 2005