Gentle Arts was founded in 1980 by Bryce Reveley in New Orleans, Louisiana. She worked many years with her daughter Leigh Reveley, and together they have studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology, the American Institute of Textile Arts, the Smithsonian Institute, the Cooper- Hewitt Museum, Winterthur Museum, the Metropolitan Museum, the English Lace School, the University of London, Musee des Arts Decorative, and Musee Dior in Paris. Bryce has served on the national board of the Costume Society of America and is also a member of the Costume Society of the U.K. She has held the position of Curator of Costumes, Textiles, and Mardi Gras at the Louisiana State Museum. Most recently, she attended New York University's Fine and Decorative Arts Appraisal program. She was the textile consultant for the William Doyle Auction Gallery and a regular textile appraiser for the Antiques Road Show. Leigh later took over Gentle Arts following Bryce’s retirement, and after a few years passed the business on to their apprentice Chelsea Syal.