How motherhood and a chance discovery launched a 20-year fashion career

Lisa Drader-Murphy is marking a milestone — 20 years of bringing her fashion designs to life.

The Nova Scotia designer has shown her styles in celebrity suites at the Golden Globes, Oscars and Cannes Film Festival, catching the eyes of the rich and famous.

Drader-Murphy, 47, could run her fashion house from anywhere in the world, but she chose to set up shop in a renovated 1700s sea captain's estate in the Annapolis Valley. 

She wouldn't have it any other way.

Second baby to first collection

In January 1997, Drader-Murphy was working for a garment manufacturer in Calgary when she had her second child.

After nine days of maternity leave, the company called her back to her job as head of design for technical industrial wear, such as bunker gear for firefighters and flame-retardant race wear.

Reluctantly, Drader-Murphy returned to work and brought her infant daughter with her.

"I would post notices on my door that would say 'Baby Sleeping' or 'Breastfeeding in Progress,'" she said.

Drader-Murphy used to walk her baby daughter through the factory in the afternoon to try to soothe her to sleep. 

One afternoon she ended up at the far end of the factory, at an annexed warehouse she decided to explore for the first time.

"To my surprise it was full of unused bolts of high-end, vintage tailoring wool," she said.

"It was a complete departure from what we were producing."

Drader-Murphy worked with the found fabrics after-hours — sewing women's jackets, jumpers and pencil skirts from the materials — and threw an impromptu fashion show in the boardroom at her work.

Wake-up call

It was her first independent collection and it took off.

"Things progressed very, very quickly. The media was all over it," Drader-Murphy said.

She became business partners with her production manager, then bought him out. 

She opened two stores that housed her label exclusively and was on her way to opening a third. That's when everything changed. 

At the height of the hype around her vintage designs, Drader-Murphy was working 80 hours a week. 

Her two small children were being raised by a nanny whose first language was German, but also spoke English, said Drader-Murphy.

"I came home from a business trip at one point and my daughter was speaking German."

For Drader-Murphy, that was a wake-up call. 

"I wanted to make a very drastic lifestyle change," she said. "I left downtown Calgary for rural Nova Scotia. It could not have been more different."

Standing out from the fashion crowd

Drader-Murphy's namesake fashion house runs out of a former sea captain's estate and birthing house in the Annapolis Valley that has since been renovated.

She said her Nova Scotia company is one of the few remaining vertical fashion houses nationwide.

Everything is done on site, including the designs, pattern and sample making, cutting, production and retail.

"That's quite rare," she said. "We're having a hard time finding others that do that in Canada."

Her business has grown to include five retail locations and a mobile boutique. 

"We've exceeded the stage of growth that we left Calgary," Drader-Murphy said.

Her collections have evolved with her lifestyle over the years. Most of her styles work from day to night and are travel friendly, easy to fit and easy to wear.

Carrying the torch

Two decades since lulling her daughter to sleep led to the discovery that sparked her career, Drader-Murphy is now watching on as her children follow in her footsteps.

Her daughter, Sarah Murphy, works at the company's Bedford and Halifax locations and is helping to redesign its cosmetic line, as well as designing textile print for an upcoming collection. 

Her son, Sam Drader, works as the company's operations manager based out of Toronto.

To celebrate 20 years, Drader-Murphy is planning a number of special events, including giant showcase at the end of the year.

There will also be a series of mobile boutique trunk shows at various cities in Canada. The first happens Friday in Kingston, Ont.

"It's been a fun career for me," said Drader-Murphy. "I'm just very grateful."