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It all started when…

Erinn and Donna met years ago as volunteers at their childrens' school, organizing and designing themed benefits. Over the years they often talked about working together on another project, but it was during a recent buying trip to China that they found the inspiration. On one of their rickshaw rides to far-flung local fabric markets, they discovered beautiful, versatile silks in exotic colors and vibrant patterns. They had a few pillows and a scarf of their own design hand-sewn by a talented local tailor. The results exceeded their expectations, but they still thought they had just made some items for themselves. That might have been the end of the story—except that on the day before their flight home, Donna broke her wrist and had to remain in Beijing for a month to recover from emergency surgery. Erinn stayed for moral support. During their enforced “vacation,” they found themselves thinking about that scarf and those pillows. It was Erinn who said: “If we like these so much, won’t other people think they are as gorgeous as we do?” “Of course!” Donna said.

That’s how D&E Design & Experience was born.

 
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Donna Mehalko

Donna Mehalko moved to New York in 1987 to work on contract as a fashion illustrator for Lord and Taylor. Her first assignment was a full-page ad in the New York Times. She was raised on a farm in Southern Alberta, Canada and received a BFA in Painting and Drawing at the University of Alberta, as well as earning a degree in Experimental Arts and Painting from the Ontario College of Art and studying at the Banff Centre School of Fine Arts. She has worked for fashion and beauty clients such as Henri Bendel, Revlon, and L'Oreal and has illustrated books for William Morrow, Simon & Schuster and Viking-Penguin. She is also a painter and her work has been exhibited in the US and Canada. She lives in New York City with her son and her husband.

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Erinn Deri

Erinn started her career advising political campaigns on media strategy. She then spent over a decade working in marketing and advertising for national brands like Ford, AT&T, and Paramount Studios at top-tier agencies including Young & Rubicam and McCabe & Company. She went on to lead a nonprofit inside the New York City Public School System overseeing fundraising, advocacy, and marketing. After spending several years living in Beijing, Erinn returned to the US and has been designing residential spaces in New York, California, and Florida. She lives in New York and Vero Beach with her husband and three daughters.