【正文】
San Francisco native Susie Russell, 21, slows down to pick up a hitchhiker near Lake Tahoe, California. Doug Tompkins, also age 21, is a hopeful Olympic skier. Six months later, they marry. The Plain Jane Dress Company be gins. Doug and Susie sell 4039。s inspired dresses out of their station wagon. An order for $15,000 worth of merchandise sets the stage for future successes. The pany is incorporated as Esprit de Corp. The first group of designers starts work on the first Esprit collections. Esprit39。s San Francisco headquarters, located at 900 Minnesota Street, burns to the ground in an arson fire. Grand scale rebuilding begins immediately. Constructed of salvaged Douglas fir, the space was created to be an exhibition space for Doug39。s Amish quilt collection, as well as the heart and soul of the pany.