Debra Scala Giokas
Books
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About the Author
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Debra Scala Giokas always loved to read and write. As a child, she wrote letters to family and friends and poems for special occasions.
In college she chose to focus her studies on literature. After she earned her B.A. in English from Stony Brook University, she began a career in marketing communications where she writes every day. She has been working in that field ever since.
Debra enjoys learning and writing about women in American History. She also loves clothes (and yarn!) almost as much as words.
She attended the Stony Brook Southampton Writer's Conference in 2017 and took a picture book workshop with Emma Walton Hamilton. Then she joined the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and won the newsletter naming competition for the Long Island Chapter.
She taught a marketing course at a local college as an Adjunct Assistant Professor for 6 years, and still mentors students at her alma mater.
Debra lives in the friendliest town on Long Island with her husband George and their dog,
Zoe Ana who is a Maltese.
George is a writer, too. His book, a young adult novel, is called NICKEL ICE.
CLAIRE is Debra's first book for children, and it's a dream come true.
A professional member of the Crochet Guild of America,
Debra is a dollmaker. She was included in the June 2018 issue of Woman's Day's "Kindness Project" for creating a "doll that does good."You can see her crocheted dolls on etsy.
In the Press
Her curiosity was piqued after seeing one of McCardell's monastic dresses on display. After reading articles about the designer and her autobiography, Scala Giokas determined it would be a great story for children and more.
Rosemary Feitelberg
WOMEN'S WEAR DAILY
Debra Scala Giokas and Mary Ryan Reeves live hundreds of miles apart. They’ve never met. But after the pandemic forced them each into lockdown, they forged a close — if virtual — friendship, rooted in a shared admiration for a long-dead Frederick woman who forever changed the fashion industry.
Jillian Atelsek
THE FREDERICK NEWS-POST
Scala Giokas said the book -- her first -- illuminates the fashion icon's story and she promises it will empower little girls.
Brian Harmon
SAYVILLE.GREATERLONGISLAND.COM
Mary Ryan Reeves, illustrator of “Claire: The Little Girl Who Climbed to the Top and Changed the Way Women Dress,” hosted a party at her home recently to celebrate both the book’s official publication and what would have been fashion designer Claire McCardell’s 116th birthday. Debra Scala Giokas authored the picture book.
“I read her autobiography, What Shall I Wear (Simon and Schuster, 1956), and then read as many articles as I could find about her. I thought it would make an inspiring story for children, especially girls. Here is someone who wanted to play sports . . . but not in dresses. She solved her own problem with creativity.”
Jeannine Clegg
THREADS
“What intrigued me was that Claire was ahead of her time,” Scala-Giokas said.
“She had three brothers; she played with them and wanted to wear comfortable clothes. So she made her own. In the high-fashion world, everyone knows her. Donna Karan, Michael Kors and Diane von Furstenberg all credit Claire; she influenced a lot of designers. In Maryland, they know her, but not many here.”
Linda Leuzzi
Debra sent me her manuscript, and I said, "Yes, let's give it a try."
HOOD COLLEGE
Debra Scala Giokas, a long-time member of PRPLI, is also a member of the Society of Children Book Writers and Illustrators. After many years of honing her craft, she has authored a children’s picture book on American Fashion Designer Claire McCardell.
THE PUBLIC RELATIONS PROFESSIONALS OF LONG ISLAND
“There was a 2018 New York Times article about the exhibition ‘Heavenly Bodies: Fashion in Catholic Imagination’ in the Metropolitan Museum of Art that included Claire McCardell and her monastic dress [an unstructured garment that could be self-styled with a belt or sash]. And that’s how it started,” she said. “I began really to research her....”
Linda Leuzzi
THE ISLIP BULLETIN
The scenes from McCardell’s years in New York City are particularly striking. Reading CLAIRE empowers to see that when faced with a problem, one only has to design their own solution. Scala Giokas’ natural warmth and enthusiasm shine in the pages of Claire straight through to the end, where you can find old-fashioned paper dolls to continue the adventure.
SAYVILLE GAZETTE
What do Frederick and Sayville, N.Y. have in common? They both have residents who are celebrating Claire McCardell, the American designer who changed fashion forever for American women.
Today’s special guest is someone I met when we were both at Stony Brook University – Southampton writing conference in 2017.
Laura Roettiger
LAURA ROETTIGER BOOKS
If ballet flats and coordinated separates are your thing, thank Claire McCardell, the visionary designer who made it possible for women to dress that way in comfortable, stylish, affordable clothes. Utilizing large pockets, denim fabric, calico, corduroy, trousers and wrap dresses, her designs thrived, especially during the 1940s, when luxurious fabrics and clothing devices like zippers were hard to come by due to World War II rationing.
Linda Leuzzi
THE LONG ISLAND ADVANCE
"Honoring an icon: Frederick Art Club unveils statue of fashion trailblazer Claire McCardell"
Praise for CLAIRE
"Claire McCardell has been one of my greatest influencers as a designer. What a thrill to see her story so beautifully expressed through illustration and word. An inspiration to aspiring young designers for sure!"
-- Sarah Liller, Fashion Designer and Founder, Sarah Liller Designs
"This beautifully illustrated biographical book is highly recommended for young readers with an interest in fashion."
-- Sally Di Marco, Fashion Designer, Author and Educator
"This telling of Claire's story will inspire a whole new generation of artists and designers. Debra has truly captured the innovation and tenacity that Claire brought to all aspects of her fashion career, and reminds us to never let obstacles keep us from achieving our aspirations and dreams."
-- Kellye A. Greenwald '86, Director of Alumni and Constituent Engagement, Hood College
"What an imaginative tribute to a visionary force in fashion and a great inspiration to young people with dreams!"
-- Marilyn Bagel, President, The Frederick Art Club (see The Claire McCardell Project)
"Such a fabulous celebration of women's fashion...showing women of all ages that you don't need to sacrifice style for function!"
-- Melanie Lippman, Melanie Lippman Style Consulting