THE DESIGNER
Nancy Zmijewski
Nancy Zmijewski has been putting her imagination to work in the home since 2002, when she retired as a legal assistant for some of the largest law firms in the City of Philadelphia. Always considered a creative and talented cook, gardener, interior designer and artist by her friends, Nancy quietly set out enjoying all of her passions during the early years of retirement. During this period, with the encouragement of her sister, Nancy was reintroduced to the craft of sewing and fashion design. Nancy throughout her life had always been a very accomplished seamstress joyfully sewing and creating clothing for her son, upholstery and curtains for the home and loved collaborating with her sister on new ideas and projects. Happily married to her husband, Christopher Zmijewski, an accomplished professional artist and a nationally recognized leader in the new 3D imaging technology industry, her devotion, help and support for the past 20 years has provided numerous opportunities to travel the world and discover many old and new cultures and traditions. It was through the many trips abroad that Nancy and her husband discovered the lovely land and people of Portugal. This country has now become one of their favorite destinations. During regular trips over the last ten years, Nancy has been inspired by the country’s historic focus and need to work within its lands and products to always look for achieving a truly sustainable environment. Whether in the agricultural, food, wine or industrial industries, all products and resources have been conscientiously looked at and evaluated for promotion of sustainability.
It was this idea of sustainable material that inspired Nancy in the focus of design and creation of her handcrafted handbags. The cork fabric is an impermeable, buoyant, elastic and fire-resistant material that over the years has evolved into a wonderful colorful material offering a multitude of creative design opportunities.
Nancy Zmijewski, the founder of Nancy Zee Designs, currently lives in the Philadelphia/South Jersey area with her husband. Empty nesters, they both enjoy their three boys, daughter-in-laws and lovely two grandchildren.