Avery Trufelman

New York designers would just go to a Paris runway show and memorize what they saw.

Claire hated this.

She was often told to go to Bergdorf's or Bloomingdale's and quote-unquote shop the store.

Claire never admitted she had made up her own designs, but Turk just quietly put her in charge of the sample room instead of sending her out to be a spy again.

He just made Claire the head of production and never said why.

Robert Turk recognized Claire's talent.

In a world where women were usually left out of any sort of mentorship opportunities, Robert Turk really took her under his wing.

And then, life is so wild.

The Great Depression hit, and in 1931, Robert Turk sells his company to another company called Townley.

Townley was this big sportswear manufacturer.

So they've sold out.

Now Robert Turk and Claire McArdle are working for this big company called Townley.

And then, right in the middle of a collection for this big new manufacturer,

Robert Turk dies.

He does.

In this really tragic accident.

He basically drowned trying to save his brother.

Turk had taken his 11-year-old brother swimming and died on the eve of his 29th birthday.

Who is, of course, this 27-year-old girl, Claire McArdle.

She had to finish the collection.