NEW YORK (AP) -- Forget Jerry. Jerry Seinfeld that is. He's nothing more than a fling of the past for young Shoshanna Lonstein.
This ambitious 23-year-old is already on to her next claim to fame: a new women's clothing line that's made her the talk of the fashion world.While her business isn't even a year old, sales are expected to easily top $1 million in 1999 and her designs -- sweet, yet sexy dresses, tops and skirts -- have already sold out of Bloomingdale's.
"Shoshanna might be known for who she dated in the past, but she's really making a splash with her new line," said Gina Maher, a fashion editor at Mademoiselle magazine. "She designs with a women's shape in mind. She's found a great niche."
Lonstein burst onto the public scene as a high school senior who happened to catch the eye of comedian Seinfeld as she walked through Central Park with friends. Their relationship lasted for four years, parting amicably in 1997.
Now, she's getting lots of attention on her own, thanks to the unexpected success of her collection -- named Shoshanna -- that's designed for women with shapely figures.
Her dresses -- in colorful, yet classic patterns -- have shoulder straps thick enough to hide bra straps. Some also come with movable ties that allow women to adjust the top to fit their bust.
While some say the hype over her line is a result of the Seinfeld link, there are plenty of fashion watchers and consumers who applaud her styles and say their purchases have little to do with her former celebrity connection.
"In the end, it's not who makes the dress but how it fits," said Susan Levin, who was buying a Shoshanna gingham dress at Bloomingdale's. "I love this dress because I feel pretty, but I'm also comfortable."
Lonstein dreamed of being a fashion designer, but never envisioned it as a career. As a teen, she made bathing suits and lingerie for herself -- after she struggled to find anything in the stores that properly fit her tiny physique and ample chest.
After graduating from the University of California at Los Angeles in the spring of 1997 with a dual degree in history and art history, she interviewed for jobs in public relations and banking.
But she wasn't ready for the stiffness of corporate America.
"I am energetic, and I need to move and create and do stuff and this wasn't for me," Lonstein said. "I also knew that I was ready to take a risk. If I didn't do it now, then when would I?"
Lonstein moved home to her parents' Fifth Avenue apartment and spent endless hours sketching lingerie designs. Eventually, she developed a business plan and approached her father, Zach Lonstein -- chief executive of Computer Outsourcing Services Inc. -- about helping her form a lingerie company.
"I said, 'OK, Dad, here is my idea. And he said 'Great -- now, get a job,"' Lonstein said. "I then realized that maybe I wasn't prepared to start it on my own and I better get some training."
Lonstein went to work in New York's garment district, where she learned every aspect of lingerie design -- from picking the right elastic to constructing the final product. In lieu of a salary, her employers agreed to make sample products based on her ideas.
After a few months, her passion turned to dresses. They were easier to design, and she knew her ideas were different than anything else currently available.
"I got the idea that it would be fun to incorporate lingerie into dresses," Lonstein said. "But I wanted to make them so that they would really fit anyone."
Last summer, after finally convincing her father to float her a loan, she produced her first sample line -- four dresses that were each paired with matching pocketbooks and thong underwear.
Then luck -- yet again -- walked in. At a showroom space she shared with other new designers, Bloomingdale's unexpectedly spotted her collection and almost immediately placed an order.
"As excited as this was, I couldn't believe it was Bloomingdale's," Lonstein said, showing off her big smile. "My business plan was to go into boutiques and test the water there. But then I got Bloomingdale's."
It's been a wild few months since she got that initial order. Her line now consists more than two dozen pieces, in a wide variety of colors and designs. Bloomingdale's is showcasing the Shoshanna line in eight stores, and more than 50 other merchants -- mostly upscale boutiques in major cities -- have made purchases.
She hired a friend, Felicia Marie Geller, to run her sales and promotions, and she moved her business from a dingy room in the back of a trucking company to a bigger, cleaner -- but still shared -- spot in the garment district.
Once a week, the ladies meet with Lonstein's parents at their apartment (where Lonstein still lives) to go over the business and make sure that they're on track.
Outgoing, yet quiet, Lonstein doesn't mind the guidance, nor does she mind the media attention -- but she's pleased that this time it's for her own achievements. Cosmopolitan magazine even named Lonstein one of their "Fun, Fearless Females" of the year, an honor designated to only 12 other women including singer Shania Twain and paralyzed Chinese gymnast Sang Lan.
"I took a risk and had no idea what would come of it," Lonstein said. "But I did this myself. I keep saying that this is so exciting, but it's also so overwhelming."