Anita Kealey is a fashion historian, preservationist, and multi-discipline designer, recognized for her innovative use of sustainable textiles in fashion design and contract interior design. Anita’s passion for the cultural arts is apparent in her collections. She is a master tailor and couture designer of multiple apparel lines.
She first learned to crochet in Girl Scouts. As a young student, she developed her tailoring skills while competing in the national Make it Yourself with Wool contest sponsored by wool producers and woolen mills. She won trips to compete with awards of fine wool, sewing equipment, as well as the top prize: a Bernina Sewing machine she still uses 40+ years later. She studied Fashion Design at Parson’s School of Design and continues fine tuning her education in textile design and master tailoring in New York.
Anita has retired as the creative director for design studies at the Institute of Design and Technology. Her vision of creative mentorship and apprenticeship programs was awarded with a Governor’s Giant Vision Award from the South Dakota Department of Economic Development in 2010, and she was a finalist in 2015 Governor’s Giant Vision Award with the development of Dakota by Design apparel.
She has received recognition over the past forty years for her achievements in creative design solutions. Her work has been highlighted in the media including House Beautiful magazine, HGTV, and as a featured guest on the Martha Stewart Show. In 2023, Anita’s fiber weaving collections were honored at the Artist of Plains Show/Center of Western Studies in Sioux Falls.
