Mary Ella Gabler, founder of luxury linens company, Peacock Alley, turned a chic boudoir pillow created on her home sewing machine into a multi-million dollar business. Her book, “Uncommon Thread” is the story of that journey, of how a stay-at-home mom turned into one of the first women CEOs in the 1970s.
Join Gabler on Thursday, April 24 when she comes to Sallie Home – a luxury linens and home décor boutique in Ladue that focuses on luxury dinnerware, bedding and unique home décor.
Mary Ella Gabler’s book, “Uncommon Thread - A Woman, a Brand, a Legacy: The Story of Peacock Alley Fine Linens” is a deeply personal narrative that details how she started the company, her sacrifices, failures and subsequent successes over the last 40 years as she has built the Peacock Alley brand.
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As one of the first registered women brokers on Wall Street in the 60's, Mary Ella Gabler spent some of her commissions buying rare, handmade quilts as well as 19th century drawings and lithographs.
"I'm quite certain I was the only Wall Street professional dealing in the commodity of fine, old quilts, confesses Gabler.
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In “Uncommon Thread,” Gabler traces her ancestry to two men who came to American with nothing more than a strong desire to succeed: An Irish weaver, on her mother's side and on her father's, a Polish entrepreneur who stressed the importance of hard work, caring for the community, and family cohesiveness.
Gabler, who grew up in Pennsylvania Dutch country, started buying and selling antique quilts in the 1960's while living in New York, and after marrying and moving to Dallas to raise a family, founded the Peacock Alley bedding line after a buyer at Neiman Marcus spotted her home handwork.
Peacock Alley has a long tradition of making the bedroom a place that evokes comfort, peace and happiness with luxury bedding products. Gabler predicted the bedroom would become a multipurpose space for living, working, relaxing and sleeping. The bedroom today has become exactly what Mary Ella foresaw.
Mary Ella Gabler will sign her book, “Uncommon Thread” at Sallie Home on Thursday, April 24, 2014 from 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM.
SALLIE HOME
9821 Clayton Road
St. Louis, Mo. 63124
314-567-7883