Carole now lives in Seattle, but she works and travels worldwide. Her favorite city is, of course, Paris. A great deal of her inspiration for detail, fabrication and trimmings is gathered on trips to the City of Light. Paris also provides tins of savory cat foods for her favorite companion, Buddy McClellan, a classic female tabby who greets clients to Carole’s atelier.

As a teenager, she apprenticed with a master leatherworker. Later, she worked in several tanneries to learn the properties and potentials of different leathers and furs. With that knowledge, Carole has experimented profitably with colors and finishes. She’s turned embossed furniture leather into fashionable jackets and made remarkable use of fish leathers.

Much of her time is spent making original made-to-measure couture leather and fur garments for the upscale market. Her work has been sold in stores such as Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus.

At one time, she worked extensively with rock stars, including Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave), Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains) and the band Heart. She toured and designed with that group’s Ann and Nancy Wilson to create their signature rock ’n’ roll look.

When asked why her collections mainly feature leather and fur, Carole says, "I feel leather is my forte. It’s more than a textile and, as such, has a myriad of applications and possibilities.

"Leather and fur have a rich and mystical history. While leather has seen duty as a protective material in battle and industry, it has unexpected emotional associations – power, sensuality, curiosity, confrontation, adventure, lifestyle, dreams and a special esprit. Leather and fur have unlimited possibilities for reinvention in new cuts and finishes from season to season."

In 2003, Carole became the first American designer invited to the exhibit at the Young Designers Pavilion at Le Cuir à Paris.

Her designs can be viewed, and she contacted, at www.carolemcclellan.com.