CNN.com - Black History Month 2002

Business
Gigi Hunter:
Designer

Dancer-turned-actress-turned-fashion designer Gigi Hunter could be considered a Renaissance woman. Nurturing her multiple talents from an early age, Hunter has graced the large and small screens, Broadway and the runway, graduating in 2000 from entertainer to full-time fashion designer-to-the-stars. Her gowns and tops and outfits are popular among some of Hollywood's elite: Jasmine Guy, Vivica A. Fox, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Patti Labelle and Jennifer Lopez.

FULL NAME
Gigi Hunter

BORN
June 26, 1960, Washington, D.C.

EDUCATION
Duke Ellington School for the Arts, Washington, D.C.

CAREER
Hunter launched her career in show business when she was in the 10th grade. She began taking dance classes at Washington's Duke Ellington School of the Arts. In 1987, Hunter joined the cast of the music television show "Solid Gold" as a dancer. Later, Hunter was cast to play a dancer in the film "Coming to America," starring Eddie Murphy. She also took a turn on Broadway in the musical "The Wiz." While working her way up the show business ladder, Hunter also was indulging another creative art: fashion design. She began knitting at age 8, and by September 2001, she was making a living as a successful designer with her own line of clothing. In Southfield, Michigan, Hunter owns her own designer boutique that features her clothing line. She is currently attempting to locate a second store somewhere in Florida.

AWARDS
Magic Johnson Salute to African-American Designers, 1999

PERSONAL
Hunter is the mother of a 5-year-old girl, Alai, and lives with her husband, Gerald Duncan, a sports agent, in Los Angeles, California. She has four brothers and three sisters, according to sgdancers.com.