Hillson, who had studied at
Saint Martin's School of Art, started out as an illustrator for publications such as
Vogue UK,
The Sunday Times, and
The Observer in the early 1950s. In 1969, she launched her childrenswear brand, and in 1972, a little girl's dress and
pinafore was chosen as the
Dress of the Year by
Moira Keenan alongside a
Biba outfit and a young boy's outfit by
Burton. As of 2018, no other children's clothes have been selected as Dress of the Year. == Teaching career ==