Joyce Russell

JOYCE ELAINE RUSSELL, 85, of Little Rock became the Lord's fashion coordinator on October 5, 2016. Born on March 31, 1931 to the late Bill and Kay Greenfield in St. Louis, Missouri, she was a 1949 graduate of University City High School.
Born with a unique sense of how to recognize and wear fashions, she was a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of Missouri when she was interviewed in the spring of 1950 by the fashion coordinator at Famous-Barr. She was called for her first modeling assignment the next day. From that day until her death, fashion was her life.
She was, during the ensuing 23 years, one of the most sought after runway models in the St Louis region. She not only modeled at the Famous-Barr stores but at such upscale area retailers as Montaldo's, Stix Baer & Fuller, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. She was also sought out for their St. Louis shows by numerous name designers, including Givenchy, Bill Blass, Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, Pierre Cardin, Christain Dior, Coco Chanel, Emanual Ungaro, Emilio Pucci, and Giorgi Armani.
During her career in St. Louis she also worked as a house model and fashion consultant at Montaldo's and as a women's fashion representative at Saks Fifth Avenue. It was at Saks Fifth Avenue that she first met her husband, Lee Russell, in 1973. When he accepted an editor's position at a Little Rock trade publication, she followed him to Arkansas in the fall of 1975.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by her son Jeff Polinsky of St. Louis, Missouri, her son Gregg Polinsky, his wife Cindy, and their twin daughters, Abby and Brooke, of Hoover, Alabama. She is also survived by her family at B. Barnett where she was an upscale fashion fixture from March of 1988 until she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer five months ago. They will tell you Joy never sold clothes. She dressed her clients from head to foot.
Online obituary at www.SmithFamilyCares.com .