ALL FOR THE SWEATER; SAN FRANCISCO'S MARGARET O'LEARY ENTERS THE MEN'S WEAR MARKET.

Daily News Record, December, 1999 by Courtay, Romy de

San Francisco-based knitwear and sportswear designer Margaret O'Leary has finally launched her men's wear collection, 10 years after her enormously successful debut in women's wear. Raised as the second of 11 children on a farm in County Kerry, Ireland, O'Leary, who turned 40 this year, learned to knit as a matter of necessity. Today, she has parlayed her skills into a successful $10 million-a-year business.

Her handmade items, artfully produced at her office/factory space on San Francisco's 16th Street by her staff of 65 knitters, are currently sold at her four retail stores in San Francisco, Mill Valley, Palo Alto and Berkeley. However, O'Leary is hoping to soon obtain distribution in key doors at better department stores like Barneys New York, Saks Fifth...