It so often happens that a hobby can lead to a multi million dollar business, which is what happened when fashion guru Adrienne Vittadini started to design clothes and accessories. She was born in 1945 in Budapest, and came to America with her family after they fled from the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. She was enrolled at the Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia.

The brand name she developed soon became associated with elegance and a more European style. It's not a staid brand however, and Adrienne Vittadini will often use bold colors for her fabrics. The range is varied and includes ladies' clothing, handbags, swimsuits, shoes and perfumes. Celebrities such as Candice Bergen, Kim Basinger and broadcaster Joan Lunden love to be seen in her creations. She designs formal wear and casual outfits. Jewelry is also on offer, including bracelets, earrings, necklaces and rings. The choice of rings includes jet and tiger's eye designs. All of the jewelry items tend to be understated and very feminine.

You can also buy watches, sunglasses, and the luggage range called Travelware. A complete outfit can be matched with accessories such as scarves, belts and hats. The scarves come in squares and boas and the belts are of various design, including suede, leather and chain, calfskin and openwear chain link. Adrienne Vittadini thinks of everything, right down to hosiery, including seamless, camisole and fine mesh.

Men are not completely forgotten in the midst of all things female. There are men's fragrances, wallets and cuff links. For those men who don't like to shop, or indeed women, it's made easy with the Adrienne Vittadini online catalog. You can also purchase gift cards in store or online from a value of $25 to $1,000. These can't be redeemed online but there are plans to expand the service to allow that in future. For a special occasion, it's possible to order items from the Adrienne Vittadini range to be packed in a gift box all wrapped up with a ribbon. You can do this online too, and it's a complimentary service. The candle sets and perfume gift boxes are particularly popular.

So, this is a story of true enterprise, rewarded with success. The business was bought by Retail Brand Alliance in 2001. People Magazine had placed Adrienne Vittadini in their chart of 50 Most Beautiful People in the World in 1992. Like others before her, a political revolution had brought Adrienne to the US, and she worked hard to be a huge success in a free economy.