GALLERIA J ANTONIO IS 50 YRS OLD THIS SUMMER OMG!!!!!

 It was the summer of 1975 when our neighbor, Mark Dittrick (Basket Weaver) on west 89th street accompanied us to JULIE SCHAFLER-of   JULIE ARTISANS GALLERY 762 Madison Ave ny 

Jose Antonio had taken Mens cotton underwear and  HANES ,cotton ,wife beaters, tank tops and remade them into Bright , Candy Colored  Rit-Dyed colored dyed swim wear in our apartment on west 89th street.

Julie and Rick loved them and quickly thought we needed them to be  photographed and promoted .

a phone call was made and 

 A very young ,Jesse Gee and Jose Antonio found ourselves at 

14-16 east 67th street  Ny ny 10021

The double townhouse mansion of Penthouse Publisher BOB GUCCIONE!!!!

Walking into the entrance was OVERWHEMING  for us since our west 89th street studio apt could have

 fit 400 times into that twin brownstone dwelling ..  

The crystal chandelier overhead sparkled like something from the WIZARD OF OZ  and we were greeted by a very nice lady who ushered us into the center of the room under that chandelier . 

Then , like a movie , Bob Guccione came down the staircase with a slew of gold chains and a hugh Gold coin around his neck.  Those chains against the hair on his chest made him  look like a Roman God .

In an office later I explained to him how those body suits were created  .  OMG !!!

How  the finished bright product  he was looking at,  

How the items he had in his hands went from 

Mens  cotton wife beaters tank tops s and cotton underwear , into swim suits that Jose had in his brain . 

  He loved the transformation ..  He held the Hanes packages in one hand and the finished swim suits in the other .   He loved!!!!!!!     the transformation . .and said " I need to shoot these !!!!

He kept our samples and the next thing you knew it ,  It all happened . 

Jose Antonio Designs ended up on a  fabulous , 3 page , fashion spread in 

VIVA MAGAZINE summer 1975  

Credits gave our PO Box address NY NY 10024 address.

Thus we were thrown in BUSINESS as the magazine was sold throughout the united states 

Jose Antonio Designs  wholesale was born 

 then       J. Antonio  Retail

and now Galleria J Antonio           was Born .....The summer of 1975  

Thanks to 

Julie Schaffer , Rick , and Bob Guccione.

There is lots more people that helped me along the way but that's for another blog ..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO GALLERIA J ANTONIO   

I am humbled by the love and self esteem that it has brought to my artistic soul..