[1] Copeland began selling her own designs as a commercial artist to manufacturing firms[3] and was hired by Pattulo Models Inc in 1920 as a fashion illustrator.
[4] After World War II led to the liberation of Paris, Copeland began looking at other sources of inspiration for fashion including China and South America.
[6] By 1949, she was promoted to partner at the firm Pattulo Models Inc[3] and eventually became Vice-President and Head Designer at Pattulo-Jo Copeland Inc. where she earned a reputation for refusing to conform to typical fashion norms.
[7] Copeland designed the buttoned, two-piece suit for women to wear without a blouse.
[8] As a result, many of her designs incorporated an extended torso and skirts no shorter than two inches above the knee.