Dressed in faded jeans, a snug-fit T-shirt
and hot-pink pumps, Kerri Quigley stands by a cream-colored dress
form, adjusting the fabric on one of her latest designs: a sleeveless
dress altered from a men’s button-down shirt she found several
years ago while rummaging through her grandmother’s attic in
Iowa. The dress hangs loosely on the model in the corner of her
bedroom, next to a large sewing machine where fragile lace fabric
lays clamped under the needle.
The rest of the room looks like that of a typical college student.
But unlike most college kids, there’s a business card pinned
to the wall displaying her company’s logo: a neon pink Tinkerbell-like
fairy.
Designing clothes is not a pastime for this 18-year-old designer
from Bay Ridge. She has already created a full clothing line
and established a small business, Kerri Renae, to sell her products
throughout New York City. And she did it all before starting
college last fall.
Inspired by design legends such as Betsy Johnson and Anna Sui,
and her favorite performer, Gwen Stefani of the band No Doubt,
Quigley’s clothing designs are often playfully functional with
an emphasis on bright colors and simple, retro patterns.
"I have always been influenced by materials," Quigley
told GO Brooklyn. "I get a lot of ideas just by browsing
fabric stores."
Her latest and most innovative invention are the High Tieds,
underwear that peeks out of low-rise jeans to show off bright
colors and whimsical bows. A sash of material on top can be folded
down over the jeans and tied like a belt.
"I thought of the idea five years ago," said Quigley,
later remarking that her first prototype was a pair of black
underwear studded with rhinestone gems.
"Then I saw sashes with bows, which people were wearing
as belts, and I decided to combine the two."
This spring, Quigley’s line premiered on the runway at a fashion
show hosted by Foot Fetish, a Bay Ridge boutique that carries
her designs. Since then, she has manufactured 200 High Tieds
and they are selling in boutiques throughout Brooklyn.
"With low-rise jeans you bend over and show your underwear.
With this, you show your underwear purposely," said Maureen
Brody, owner of Foot Fetish, where High Tieds sell for $38 each.
"We thought it was cute for the summer."
Brody admits that at first customers pick up the underwear and
think it is a bathing suit bottom. The Lycra-Rayon material Quigley
used to manufacture the undergarment gives this false impression.
"I had a difficult time finding a soft material," said
Quigley. But to assure no confusion, Quigley attached a diagram
with instructions on how it is to be worn.
"[Quigley] is very clever," said Brody. "She doesn’t
come off young at all."
A tall, slender woman with bright, watchful eyes and a delicate
smile, Quigley could easily be mistaken for one of the models
displaying her designs. She is shy when it comes to discussing
her work, but for her, talking about fashion comes with the ease
of a lifetime of experience.
Quigley’s grandmother introduced her to the sewing machine when
she was just 7 years old and taught her the basics. Several years
later, her mother found her tearing apart her old prom dress
to make a Cinderella gown.
"My mom was very angry when she caught me," said Quigley.
But her mother, Lisa Quigley, said she is not angry anymore and
even says that at times she is guilty of borrowing her daughter’s
designs and wearing them herself.
"Kerri has always been passionate about fashion," said
Lisa Quigley. "When she was a little girl, she used to write
plays so she could design costumes for the characters. And in
high school, she continued to design costumes for school plays."
Sitting in Quigley’s basement bedroom, her mother glows with
admiration for her work. "In August, she will be designing
my wedding dress," said mom.
While Quigley admits that she enjoys the artistry of fashion,
she also recognizes it as a business. In high school, she interned
with fashion designer Mark Kroeker for three seasons.
"He works with ultra-suede and taught me how to cut patterns
and iron material," Quigley said. "Ironing is definitely
an underrated skill."
Last fall, she began studying fashion and business as a freshman
at Parsons School of Design, in Manhattan.
Since then, Quigley’s designs have appeared in a number of school
fashion shows. She hopes to soon have enough capital to begin
mass producing her clothing line and is currently in the process
of searching for a buyer to help sell her designs to major clothing
retailers like Macy’s and Wet Seal.
After researching manufacturing options overseas in countries
where labor is cheaper, Quigley decided to keep her business
local.
"Manufacturing in NYC is a dying industry. I thought it
would be easier and better to give local manufacturers business,
instead of sending it overseas," said Quigley.
Brushing her hand over a piece of beige jersey-cotton fabric,
which she hopes to use in her new line of High Tieds, Quigley
looks at her logo and lets her mind drift off towards dreams
of the future. She hopes that her brand name will one day be
as big as designers such as Kimora Lee Simmons’ Baby Phat.
"As much as I love doing this," Quigley said. "I
know you can also make a lot of money."
High Tieds sell for $38 at Foot Fetish, 8813 Third Ave. between
88th and 89th streets in Bay Ridge. For more information, call
(718) 238-8470.
