posturing already, let the watch dog do its job. that's it for me. thanks for joining the conversation this week on "your money." we're here every saturday at 1:00 p.m. and sunday at 3:00. you can catch christine romans on "your bottom line" at 9:30 a.m. a.m. have a great weekend. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com you're in the cnn news loom, may 14th, i'm fredicka wit field. we're waiting for an expected announcement from the u.s. army corps of engineers that it's opening the morganza spillway to protect new orleans from the mississippi floodwaters. other areas could see disastrous flooding. we'll go live to the briefing. in areas like that, they could get major flooding once that spillway is indeed opened. morgan city is protected by

flood walls. those walls could fail. the city's mayor talked about his concerns with our ed lavandera. >> are you worried about it flooding? this is the heart of the city right here. >> it is the heart of the city, primarily protected by that wall right there. it would take a failure of that wall before this would be at risk. what we're really concerned about is that high river stage raising the water level back where the lake is, and if that got topped, because that level of protection is not nearly as high as that, if that got topped, the water is going to flow throughout the city. it won't be held within a particular compartment of the city. we're an island, the river on one side and both our eastern boundaries and south even boundaries is the river, the northern and western boundaries is the lake. >> this water threat surrounds you? >> absolutely. it's starting to lap up under the planks of the wharf. so the water is just now getting

here. >> it will be water all the way. it will touch this wall and extend all the way to that wall over there. those buildings right there that you see across the way, those will be under water. >> it's just a staggering amount of water. >> it is. when you looked at it from this perspective. like i said, our people, nosh has anyone else seen anything like this, not here. >> you're confident about these walls holding up? >> i have to be, yes. i have to be. >> if for whatever reason they fail -- >> total catastrophe. this entire city would flood without a doubt. >> are you angry that they're opening up the morganza spillway? >> am i angry about it? not really. we all live with the idea that, hey, we know this is the potential. this is what this whole floodway system is for. i wouldn't want to live anyplace else. that's part of what comes with it. certainly, this is a floodway. it's built as a floodway. that decision was made way back

in 1928 and the 30s and all of those after the 27 flood. this was the design. from that perspective, that's what it's here for. it's here to provide that relief valve for the river. >> this is where the water level reached in '73. >> that's correct. >> our ed lavandera tells us the floodwaters will be released slowly from the morganza spillway to minimize the damage in morgan city and other areas downstream. meteorologist jennifer delgado joins us with the latest on the flood threat. this is so frightening for so many people looking at the potential of being inundated with several feet of water. >> fredicka, this is such a tough decision to make. this is going happen, as we said, in a few hours. as i show you on our graphic, this is the morganza flood gates. the area in red, this is the gate. if you look real closely, there

is the mississippi river. what this is going to do, of course, this is going to alleviate some of the flooding potential for baton rouge as well as new orleans. as i zoom in more, the area towards the west, this is the area that's potentially going to be flooded out, talking about small communities and farmland. roughly about 25,000 people could be at risk. interstate 10, that road may be at risk for being impassable. this area here doesn't have a flood gate. we'll likely see flooding there. it gets a little better if i show you this area of morgan city. they have a levee there. hopefully morgan city is going to shape up or should i say not sustain any of the flooding. as i close this, i want to show you the other graphic real quick. hopefully the magic wall is going to work with me. let's talk about more of the flooding that's going to be happening as we go through the next several days and weeks ahead. not until the end of the month

before the water is going to make it to areas including new orleans. right now, you can see we have a river of 12.8 meters. that's vicksburg. that's major flood stage. the same for natchez and baton rouge. notice we're dealing with moderate flooding for new orleans. that's good news with the area being so low, they need all the protection they can get. >> my goodness, still talking about potentially two more weeks of agony, being on the edge of your seat? >> absolutely. may 22nd. >> jennifer, thanks so much. other stories making news right now. two islamic leaders in south florida and one of their relatives in california arrested today, charged with providing support to the pakistani taliban. that's a terrorist group with close ties to al qaeda, responsible for carrying out attacks on the pakistan-afghanistan border. three other people in pakistan were also indicted. a federal indictment says all six conspired to kill, injure or

kidnap people abroad. thousands of people who thought they won a green card to stay in this country are out of luck. the u.s. state department is invalidating results posted on its website because of a computer glitch. every year millions apply for 50,000 green cards. a new lottery will be held in july. welcome news for motorists struggling with high gas prices. president barack obama plans to speed up domestic oil drimg. he made the announcement in his weekly address to the nation. >> i'm directing the department of interior to conduct annual lease sales in am las ka's national petroleum reserve while protecting sensitive areas, speed up the oil and gas exploration in the mid and south atlantic. we plan to lease new areas in the gulf of mexico as well and work to create new incentives to industry to develop their unused leases both on and offshore. >> the president's announcement

follows similar moves by the gop controlled house. they have recently passed several bills opening up coastal areas for drilling. house speaker john boehner gave the commencement address at catholic university in washington, d.c. today. there was a cloud of controversy over that event more than 70,000 catholic scholars wrote him criticizing his voting record. they say the budget proposed goes against catholic teachings supporting the poor. atlanta playing host to sunday's civil rights game, right now at centennial olympic park, pre-game activities are take place. mlb will also play tribute to hammering hank aaron. t.j. holmes spoke with aaron and asked him about the state of the game. >> it could be better.

it could be a lot better. we don't have as many african-american baseballs playing baseball now as we used to. every time we have an economic struggle in this country we -- we, the blacks are going to feel the pinch a lot quicker than anybody. and baseball is a very expensive game. >> next hour, we'll look at how baseball is also using this weekend to focus on young people. here is a quiz for you. the united states once had a booming textile industry. well, not so much now. which country produces the most bails of cotton? is it china, india, brazil or is it the u.s. still? building up our wireless network all across america. we're adding new cell sites... increasing network capacity, and investing billions of dollars to improve your wireless network experience. from a single phone call to the most advanced data download, we're covering more people in more places than ever before

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tell us what you want to pay. we do our best to make that work. deal! my money. my choice. my meineke. before the break, we asked if you know which country produce it is most cotton. china, india, brazil or the u.s.? the answer is china according to the national cotton council of america. one state is hoping to boost cotton production in the u.s. tom foreman takes us to north carolina in this "building um america" report. >> reporter: burleson is laying in another crop of carolina cotton just as his family is for years. this is much more than a job these days. >> it's a thrill. >> reporter: because a portion

of his crop is going to cotton of the carolinas. that's an innovative program to build up the hard-hit textile industry here by turning locally grown cotton into locally made clothing creating locally needed jobs at places like ts designs. >> our shirts go from dirt to shirt in 700 miles or less. >> reporter: that matters because company officials like eric michelle stress green production, using less fuel which is difficult when cotton and cotton products are shipped back and forth to china, india, pakistan. >> we're a triple bottom line business, we like to look after people, planet and profit. >> reporter: what crushed the textile industry was lower labor costs abroad. these shirts still generally cost more than imports, but they have found fans in people who support local production and a competitive edge may be coming.

>> ultimately with fuel costs and other things going way up, we're going to have a more sustainable supply chain and a consistent quality here that other people may not have. >> reporter: for ronnie burleson, it's simple. >> we're going to church with people that worked in the cotton mills all their life. all that industry is gone. i feel proud to be part of what can try to bring back some of those jobs and help my neighbor. >> reporter: building up the fabric of his hometown. tom foreman, cnn, burlington, north carolina. >> as promised, we want to take you to morganza, louisiana, where at the morganza spill, the u.s. army corps of engineers, talking about the potential of opening up the spillway in order to protect new orleans and baton rouge. let's listen in. >> drains into this area and comes by the mississippi and the after fa yeah. >> that's the mississippi river

tributaries project we're working on right now. next slide -- on this slide here, this is what guys thought about 30 years ago and what we've been constructing for the last -- since 1928, to put a system together where we meet certain gauges an certain requirements where we take water off of the main stem of the mississippi and we move them around to different areas and stage that water so we can continue to protect lives as we move down river. you know we opened up the flood way at bird's point new madrid, we opened that up last week. we also opened up the bonnet carre spillway, there's discussions about opening up morganza. i'll get to that in just a moment. the gauges are still at historic highs. i was at cairo, illinois, two days ago. while folks are coming back to that city even after it was evacuated.

the gauge levels are still as high as they've ever been. they've dropped three feet, but still as high as they've ever been. we need to remain vigilant. we still have our engineers walking the levees looking for sand boils and other things in regard to weaknesses. the crest is still up in arkansas, hats on the yet come down here. this is certainly going to be a marathon and not a sprint as we go through this tremendous amount, huge amount of water as it comes down. it's again putting tremendous pressure on the entire system as we try and work this amount of water through the mississippi river tributaries project. the next question is when do we open the morganza floodway. i just took a brief from the district commander. he recommends that we continue with the opening of morganza spillway, and i directed him, the mississippi river commission directed him to open those bays

today. i'll have colonel fleming talk to you about that in just a moment. >> we're going to continue to monitor what the u.s. ear corps of engineers is saying, that they will be opening up the morganza spillway later on today. that's to try to prevent severe flooding in baton rouge or new orleans, but that doesn't mean that there won't be other communities that may bear the brunt of flooding as a result of the swelling mississippi river. we'll continue to monitor the developments there. ed lavandera is there as well. he'll be joining us later on. meantime it is graduation season. hundreds of thousands of students are actually getting their diplomas. can you guess how much they paid for their cap and gown? just a quick quiz. the answer when we come back.

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before the break, we asked you if you knew how much a cap and gown cost. you can spend anywhere from $45 to $185. that's without the tassels t honor cords and the stoles. so what is the perfect gift for the graduate in your life? joining us our financial dynamic duo. >> hi, fredicka. >> i'm so oldie forget what i

got for my graduation. >> oh, stop it. >> you know what? you remember having a close encounter with a beer bottle in my gown. >> oh, my goodness, we're revealing a lot. is there more? >> no, no, no. >> i must say, it is a struggle. i always struggle with what's the perfect gift for a graduating high school senior, even college senior. you say, you know what? let's keep it simple. off the bat they'll appreciate gift cards and oh, my gosh, that can be so easy to give. >> you know, it sounds easy. but when you think about it, the average college graduate, unless you're very close with them and you know exactly what they like to do, you probably don't know that much about them. you're better off doing things where they can do it themselves, buy it themselves such as grift cards. >> like a visa card with a limit on it, with an amount of money on it, maybe amex.

maybe if they're going to stay at home, maybe they'll help with home improvements, maybe lowe's or one of the home improvement places. >> that was one of his ideas, not mine. >> and also, maybe a nice retail card where they can get their first business suit if they're going to be working right away. >> that's a great idea. once someone graduates from college especially, and maybe even high school, they're going to need a computer when they go off to college, the high school graduation. that's a fantastic but high-end kind of gift to give. >> it is hi end. but keep in mind there are good deals on computers now because obviously they know a lot of people are look at computers as gifts. we were looking around before the subject. daria got one on her. >> on my ipad, i just the one as the twos were coming out and saved $100. probably a little difficult to find the ipad one now.

give it a try. you never know. depending on your closeness to the graduate will also depend on whether you can fork over that kind of money or hey, mom and dad, if you've been helping subsidize this college education, this will be the last big money you have to give away. >> that's a good way to look at it. >> i think i played $900 for a calling plan. it's a wonderful gift, a blackberry, whether working right away or taking time off. nice to stay in touch with the kids. >> good message to send. >> another great gift idea which you don't think about is to pay for resume-writing service for that graduate who still hasn't been able to find a job. >> exactly right. we're information maniacs i suppose. but a nice gift of a magazine or newsletter on something that they're either interested in or,

in fact, would help their career would be very good and well within anybody's budget. they're practically giving away magazines. >> a perfectly smart eye, keeping them informed and helping them be very equipped as they head on to the real world, right? >> yes. >> my favorite one, if i have a minute to put in the one i think is very important. you can get together with a lot of people. the average college graduate is leaving college now with over $20,000 in student loan debt. it might be the best gift of all to pool a whole group of people's money and give them a payment to get rid of some of that student loan debt. >> talk about stress relieving. >> that's a big choker for these kids. >> nothing is worse, you're excited about getting out into the world and you're saddled with giant debt. a student loan can be considered good debt because you did get through college. that's another subject. >> as long as you're working to

pay it off. >> ken and daria -- >> when in doubt, cash doesn't hurt whether student loan, first month's rent orr something like that. >> ken and daria dolan, people can keep tabs on you, www.thedolans.com. did i get that right? >> just dolans. >> ken and daria, good to see you. a country music superstar is moved to action after seeing devastated alabama and wants you to join him. a challenge from hank williams junior next. hey, dad, think i could drive? i'll tell you what -- when we stop to fill it up. ♪ ♪ [ son ] you realize, it's gotta run out sometime.

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the biggest stars of country music are doing what they do best, performing, to raise money for the families of the tornado-ravaged south. one of those stars wants you to join him and cnn. watch. hi, i'm hank williams junior. you can make an impact to help the people of alabama, georgia, mississippi that have been totally devastated by the worst disaster in the history of the state. you have to be here. you just can't describe it. it's absolutely unbelievable. >> these cities need not millions. they need billions.

help is on the way. america can survive and alabama can survive. so please join the movement "impact your world." go to cnn.com/impact. meantime, as it pertains to the flood-ravaged area, the army corps of engineers is making the decision on levees along the mississippi river. coming up at the top of the hour, we take an in-depth look at this organization and why it has so many critics. and straight ahead for now, a cnn special, fashion backstage. s network all across america. we're adding new cell sites... increasing network capacity, and investing billions of dollars to improve your wireless network experience. from a single phone call to the most advanced data download, we're covering more people in more places than ever before in an effort to give you the best network possible. at&t. rethink possible.

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sarah burton. if you didn't know her name before, you do now. she designs kate middleton's royal wedding dress, has her own cinderella story. your grandmother's girdle. >> this started it all, holding in your saddle bags, your tummy area, your rear. >> it all began in her kitchen, now tory burke says she can't believe how big her brand has become. the piece of clothing that inspired it all. welcome to fashion backstage pass i'm alina cho at lincoln

center, the new home an heart of new york's fashion week. we begin with the designer whose name flew off the runway and into the homes of a mere 2 billion people when one kate middleton chose her to design the wedding dress. sarah burton took over as creator of fashion house alexander mcqueen. after mcqueen died last year of suicide. his designs were be loved by everyone from lady gaga to michelle obama. now new york is showcasing the mcqueen's creations. and only we had a backstage pass. when the now duchess of cambridge unveiled her wedding gown to the world, she also revealed one of the world's best-kept secrets, sarah burton, creative director of alexander mcqueen designed the dress. suddenly the high fashion house with a cult following had the royal stamp of approval.

instant celebrity, burton and the man she replaced, alexander mcqueen. >> he's royalty. he's fashion royalty. >> he definitely was a designer that was ahead of his time. i just wish he could have been here to see it. >> it's been more than a year since mcqueen committed suicide in his london home, shocking the fashion world. burton, a little-known long-time collaborator took over as creative director so the house of mcqueen could live on. >> the world is certainly experiencing a mcqueen moment. >> reporter: this month the metropolitan museum of arts costume department opened an exhibit. stella mccartney called lee, his given name, shy in public but mischievo mischievous, too. >> when you tell stories, they're kind of rude, they're not really public consumption i would say.

>> reporter: this public exhibit includes 100 provocative pieces carefully cure rated by andrew bolton. >> how do you cut it down to 100 pieces? >> it was hard. >> reporter: our cameras captured the painstaking detailed work that goes into restoring the elaborate gowns turning this into this, this into this and this into this. >> when i walked into the exhibition i thought of lee. the emotion, passion and attention to detail he had for everything that he did. >> reporter: bolton says mcqueen's designs often were an outlet for the deepest, darkest parts of his imagination. >> he would challenge our conventions of beauty. it wasn't about the classical idea of beauty of harmony and proportion. he found beauty in what people might think were ugly. >> yet the clothes are beautiful. >> they're exquisite. >> reporter: they also inspire trends like row-rise pants. mcqueen first created them in

1995nd called them bumsters. they were controversial, but the style endured. >> the low-slung jeans, i recreated my wardrobe when i was a teenager. >> reporter: he was unique in the way he staged fashion shows, turning them into performance art like this one that looked like a chess game. perhaps one reason why performance artist lady gaga was a huge fan. ♪ >> reporter: she even wore this mcqueen creation in her video "bad romance." it's called the jellyfish, now on display at the met. >> he could create clothing that nobody else wanted to, nobody else saw in their imagination and he did it with great seriousness and flare and women see. >> reporter: sarah jessica parker lent her voice to the

audio guide. in 2006 she was mcqueen's date to the met when the costume institute opened another exhibit. she still has the pins he used to fit her dress. >> he really is and probably will continue to be in a league of his own. >> reporter: on opening day, the alexander mcyeen exhibit drew a record number of visitors. you can see it, too, through the end of july. coming up, she had no intention of getting into fashion. she just wanted to look good in her tight white pants. >> how did you come up with the idea? >> honestly my own butt. let's just tell it like it is. >> reporter: the creator of spanx has a multimillion dollar business. she's a former standup comic, too. first, hot off the heels of the royal wedding, new york had its own bridal celebration, a fashion week devoted solely to wedding gowns. we talk to the queen of bridal wear vera wang.

>> every single bride is different. every bride has a different list of dresses or styles that she wants to wear. i always want to know how the bride feels, what her goals are aesthetically. it's a very public statement about who you are. i don't think there is a more public dress that a woman wears ever in her life. the most incredible brides have been brides that wore something that really reflected who they were. [ woman ] jogging stroller. you've been stuck in the garage while i took refuge from the pollen that made me sneeze.

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any rules. so you're the one that makes the rules. >> i think you can mix and match all you want. >> a jumper, an old ms belt and chloe shoes. >> i bought that coat right at that store and i thought i'll never wear there. it's so tacky. then i wore it. >> time is the '70s, a let of funky shoes. >> don't think about it too much. when style becomes labored, it looks labored. >> reporter: from what's hot on the street to underneath, even celebrities can't stop talking about spanx, the shape wear phenomenon that's also a multimillion dollar brand many times over. need to lose those five extra

pounds, drop a dress size? spanx can keep a secret. it's not just for women anymore. >> i just put on my spanx and i'm ready to go. >> how many people know spanx. >> it's the butt of jokes. >> that's why you need baby spanx, the super elastic shape wear that smooths out all your baby's unsightly bumps and bulges. >> reporter: there's no denying the power of spanx. the open secret that keeps celebrities looking svelte on the red carpet. >> i've tricked my body into keeping it's thinner, spanx. >> reporter: it's not your grandmother's girdle. >> how did you come up with the idea? >> honestly my own butt. let's just tell it like it is. i did not like the way my own rear looked in white pants. >> reporter: out of frustration, blakely cut the feet out of her control-top panty hose, put them on under her white pants and the

first prototype of spanx was borne. >> they worked wonder, but they rolled up my legs all night. i thought if i can find out a way to keep this below the knee, this could be a home run for women. >> this is the product that launched it all? >> this started it all. >> reporter: footless pantyhose, 9 million have sold. it took creative convincing early on. >> e went to niemann marcus on my first cold call for spanx. about a minute into my presentation, the buyer i could tell was a little confused. i said, will you just come with me to the bathroom. he was like, excuse me. i did my own before and after. i went in the stall without and with spanx. she said, oh, my god, i got it. >> the that buyer immediately ordered 3,000 pairs. that was a decade ago. blakely started the company with $5,000, money she saved from selling fax machines door-to-door. today spanx is a mega brand,

more than 200 products in 10,000 stores in the u.s. alone and in 30 countries, generating $350 million in sales. >> they changed my world. they changed my world a couple weeks ago when i had a dress on that i probably should not have been wearing. >> reporter: part of the appeal is that blakely, a former stand-up comic has fun with it with sass see names like slim cognito, skinny britches and a spanx bra that took two years to produce. >> now we created bra lay lou yeah. it created that feeling. >> there's a lower-priceline called assets and plus-size versions on qvc. >> i think it's time for me to try something to try to get rid of these rolls in my body. >> smooth things out, stella, right? >> yes, indeed. >> reporter: now there's spanx for me. what's happening with you?

you look great. >> i'm wearing spanx. >> guys are waking up and saying why wouldn't we do something that makes us look and feel a little better in our clothes. >> yeah, why just the girls? >> right. >> reporter: the invention that sparked a revolution and made blakely a celebrity, too. >> the other day i was in the airport and this woman is running by me. she clearly had a moment where she recognized me. she goes spanx and wheels on luggage, two greatest inventions in the last 50 years. >> reporter: ain't that the truth. up next, you've seen her on fashion's hottest cat walks, on glossy magazines, but a high school prom. we followed this top model back home to watch tao where she's just your average 17-year-old. >> this is my room, but it's really messy. i don't think you want to come in here. >> reporter: she had a five-year plan of three stores. so much for plans. her logo virtually overnight was everywhere. >> saturday weird to you today when people say, oh, yeah, it's

a tory this, it's a tory that. >> it's so funny. >> how tory birch built a global fashion empire. first, he's also a recognizable name on the basketball court. >> stoudemire and the finish! >> reporter: new york knicks star amar'e stoudemire wows the crowd at madison square garden. now he's about to do the same in fashion. >> you have to work just as hard in fashion. >> reporter: here is a sneak peek, nba logos, graffiti, not your typical jerseys. stoudemire has teamed up with fashion designer rachel roy. the two are collaborating on a collection for women that will be sold at macy's beginning in september. clothing inspired by and created for female sports fans.

>> no matter what the trends are, what's going on in fashion, as long as you believe in something and it's true to you, you'll succeed. >> amar'e has that. >> he has it. there's another way to minimize litter box odor: purina tidy cats. tidy cats premium line of litters now works harder to help neutralize odors in multiple-cat homes. and our improved formula also helps eliminate dust. so it's easier than ever to keep your house smelling just the way you want it. purina tidy cats. keep your home smelling like home. down the hill? man: all right. we were actually thinking, maybe... we're going to hike up here, so we'll catch up with you guys. [ indistinct talking and laughter ] whew! i think it's worth it. working with a partner you can trust is always a good decision.

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welcome back to fashion backstage pass. i'm alina cho. fashion insiders know her name. you probably now her face, lindsey wixon, all of 17. like any 17-year-old she has teenage dreams like going to her high school prom, squeezing it in between trips to milan, paris and new york. it's a long way from the runway. she's the super model of the moment at 17 lindsey wixon has had a meteoric rise in fashion. >> i have friends that tell me, oh, lindsey you're famous. i know a famous person. >> reporter: she started modeling two years ago at 15, a week after posting photos on models.com. she got the attention of a famous photographer. then prada came calling. she has it all except for a

ticket to the prom. >> i think it's time to show wichita a little glamour. >> reporter: that's right, wichita, kansas. wixson's hometown. she eem soon be there in a dress designed especially for her by jason wu, the same jason wu who designed michelle obama's dress for the inauguration. >> ooh, that's gorgeous. check it out. >> reporter: a one-of-a-kind. perks of being a super model. >> the lindsey dress. we're calling this the lindsey. >> it's so beautiful jason. thank you so much. >> reporter: the next time we see wixon, we're in wichita and it's prom night. >> how do you stay grounded? >> i come home. i come home and i do yoga and i cook. >> reporter: in some ways she is a normal teenager. >> is this your room?

>> this is my room, but it's really messy. >> belts, necklaces. >> what is going on in here? >> reporter: in other ways, not so much. >> this is it, right? >> yeah, this is my car. >> your 16th birthday present. >> to herself. look at the license plate, wickson bought the convertalable with money she made from the miu-miu ad campaign. take a look at her closet. >> this is one of the coolest, mark jacobs. >> reporter: a dift from the designer her seflt. it's this designer dress she'll wear to the prom. >> everybody cheese. >> reporter: after a few photos with mom, there's a kiss from dad. daddy's girl and her friends then pile into a limb scene,

then they're off to the place where memories are born. >> you're a long way from the runway. >> yeah, i am. this is teenage zone, teenage zone. >> reporter: the night has just begun, and so has this young girl's career. and we wish lindsey the best of luck. up next, the woman behind an iconic mega brand. what tory burch says was missing from her own closet that inspired her to design. first, these are not clothes you can buy, but they can break or make a broadway show like "anything goes" up for nine tony awards including costume design. >> clothing is nothing without a body. ♪ >> i was able to be sort of historically accurate and liven it up with interpretation of all

of that color. >> they make me feel glamour rouse and sass see and fabulous. they're transformative. i literally feel like a different person. ♪ [ male announcer ] in 2011, at&t is at work, building up our wireless network all across america. we're adding new cell sites... increasing network capacity, and investing billions of dollars to improve your wireless network experience. from a single phone call to the most advanced data download, we're covering more people in more places than ever before in an effort to give you the best network possible. at&t. rethink possible. hey, dad, think i could drive? i'll tell you what -- when we stop to fill it up. ♪

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we're in the showroom of christian kota, someone i think is a newcomer to watch. the only designer from mexico to show at new york's fashion week. thank you so much. good to see you. >> good to see you. >> you have an interesting story behind this design. talk about that. >> this one i was at the market and i saw a bunch of red meat. >> was this before or after lady gaga? >> it was actually before. >> this is my family. >> talk about the grandmother who first inspired you. >> she loved the drama of clothing and how much you could do with it. >> i want to talk about some of the celebrities you've dressed. eva mendez. >> you had a big moment recently with carrie underwood. >> she wore the night she announced her engagement for the first time. >> you had your first runway show this past february, right? what was that like? >> it was very -- almost as a

dream. >> at that point did you say, okay, in some small way i've made it? >> my team and i pulled it together. we did a good show. and on to the next. >> reporter: she was a newcomer just a few years ago. now tory burch's name is synonymous with ballerina flats, the ones with the iconic logo. nowadays burch sells a lot more than just shoes. turns out the ballerina flats were just the first step in building the tory burch fashion empire. it's just another day at the office for tory burch. a photo shoot in the morning for "vogue" mexico, in the afternoon it's "vogue" japan. in the afternoon, we talk about what else? >> who is the tory girl? >> i'm asked that a lot. i would say it's probably me. i wore this jacket today. >> reporter: a one-woman fashion empire, 50 stores around the

world, another 16 opening next year with an estimated $450 million in sales. >> this big this fast? >> i had no idea. i had a knifed-year plan of three stores. so you can imagine. it's a very different thing. >> reporter: clothes, shoes, bags, perfume on the way. she's the founder, ceo and, oh, by the way, a dedicated mom, too. >> you don't sleep much? >> i don't sleep much. i wish i slept more. i've never slept, since i was a little girl. i think that does help me. >> reporter: burch started the company seven years ago in her kitchen because she saw something missing in her closet. >> which was what? >> this idea of finding great, beautifully designed, beautifully made pieces that weren't at a designer price point. >> reporter: chic but affordable. she got to work. then she stumbled upon something that would soon be the centerpiece of her first collection. >> i was in a paris flea market and i saw a tunic in this shape.

i thought, wow, what a great shape for all ages. >> reporter: today the tory burch tune nick is a best-seller, so the iconic reba ballerina, the flat shoe named for her mother. in fact, it was her stylish parents who first introduced burch, then a tom boy, to fashion. >> my father was known for his style, and i think he designed all his own clothing. i often said he should have been a designer. my mom, just stunning. >> reporter: she named her newest hand bag line the robinson collection. >> my dad would be very happy. >> reporter: a way to honor her late father by using her maiden name. >> i am head to toe tory burch. >> is it weird to you today when people say oh, yes, it's a tory, it's a tory this, a tory that. >> it's so funny. i laugh when i hear that. >> it's a little strange, isn't it? >> odd, but flattering. >> reporter: global reach, 1500