A few of our recent chapters….
Sept 12, 2001.
Kerry O'Brien left her lifetime finance career in NYC. With no plans or experience in the fashion industry, but as a woman she knew that undies shouldn't be ugly or uncomfortable or ' too sexy' to be pretty.
DISRUPTER-- that's what she was called.
Kerry did not accept 'that's how it's always been done' and dared to ask 'why.'
She learned asking for guidance from experts is ok-- good people want to help & see others succeed.
What emerged was the original no-show undie where women could feel confident & discreet, but also feel sexy & fun when they wanted.
Commando was made for women's comfort.
From day one to today, each item has to pass the 'Kerry Test' where she personally has to approve each design, each size or it doesn't get made.
Be the DISRUPTER-- it's what changes the world.
Sinatra sang about NYC 'I want to wake up in the city that never sleeps.'
Because it's the best city in the world which might be my personal opinion but is also a FACT!
And Amanda Uprichard feels the same way. In a small NYC apartment in 2008, Amanda began her dream-- designing beautiful clothes that women WANT to wear and now we're 15 years later.
A lot has changed, but for AU a lot hasn't. While most of her peers outsourced manufacturing to Asia & jumped on the Amazon bandwagon, AU chose steadfast loyalty & dedication to NYC.
Today all of her design & most manufacturing stays right in NYC's Garment District. Amanda says that's where her first inspiration was drawn and she goes to the streets each day.
She moved from FL to NYC with a passion for fashion, started one day, learned every big & little aspect of the biz & remains true to NYC roots-- that's the American dream & STORY.
Swim For All Seasons.
Hailing from OH, L*Space Founder/Creative Director Monica Wise realized escaping the dreary winters for FL were happiest in a cute bikini.
Becoming a beach bum, Monica’s grandmother— who built a restaurant empire from just a few dollars investment—said ‘You have to figure out what you’re doing with your life!’
When Wise started her brand, she was a one-woman swimwear show who performed nearly every task necessary to create L*Space—celebrating 20 years in 2020.
The ‘L’ in the name represents the greatest joys— love, laughter, lounging & living life to the fullest.
L*Space has grown from swimsuits to resort wear, lounge wear and lately activewear.
And all came from a grandmother who shared her grit and Monica listened.
Super Sexy. Super Sustainable.
Vitamin A believes style and sustainability are inseparable. Swim responsibly in their comfy bikinis, sustainably made in California from plant-based and recycled materials.
Super Natural. As a proud member of 1% for the Planet, Vitamin A gives back to organizations who work to protect our oceans.
Founded in 2000 by California native Amahlia Stevens, Vitamin A combines feminine design with sustainable innovation. Vitamin A bikinis and bodysuits are designed and made locally in California, in their signature plant-based and recycled fabrics.
Amahlia is inspired by ‘70s California beach style; she’s all about the simple shapes and flawless fit, and a sunny natural sexiness that is in her DNA.
Before Vitamin A, she designed for Patagonia, Levis Strauss and Co, Hollister Co, and Stüssy. Her time with Patagonia Founder Yvon Chouinard inspired her to create her own sustainable swimwear. As Amahlia began to research materials, suppliers told her that there was “no market” for sustainable swimwear. This propelled her to create it herself. In 2006, Amahlia worked with the top mills in Italy, Canada, and California to perfect the process. Four years later, she introduced EcoLux- the first premium swim fabric made from recycled nylon. Today, her vision is quickly becoming industry standard.
California brand Richer Poorer is known among its fan base for creating amazingly comfortable basics and loungewear. Its T-shirts are lusciously soft, sweats as cozy as can be, and bralettes as unrestrictive as possible — they sell out more often than not.
But there was a time when the brand almost lost everything.
The company, which was founded in 2010 by Iva Pawling and Tim Morse and invested in by the likes of Patrick Carney from the Black Keys, originally began selling comfortable, cleverly designed socks and underwear to upscale department store retailers like Bloomingdales. After a few years, the company was interested in scaling and knew they'd need to raise $2 million capital. Online retailer Shoes.com offered to buy the company for $12 million total.
Unfortunately the new owner would be declaring bankruptcy, potentially bringing Richer Poorer down with them in the fire.
Pawling and Morse used the strong relationships they had built with two board members and bought the company back with them for $8 million just one month before Shoes.com officially went under.
Interestingly, the brand's laid-back vibe reflects nothing about the company's history. Through tumult and turmoil, they were able to build up a successful identity that represents the most aspirational version of ‘California cool’ that we've seen since the era of Vans' skate shoes — and we've come to love them as much for their story as for their great clothing.
LAUDE the Label began as one woman’s way of doing her part to end family separation due to the economic insecurity facing women all across the world.
Founder Carly Burson put her years of fashion-industry experience to work, designing goods that would help makers in artisan communities access the global marketplace and create sustainability where there had been vulnerability and insecurity.
What began as a group of eight women in 2014 has grown to a worldwide community of over 518 artisans. Though they have grown, LAUDE has always prioritized the quality, health & sustainability of their partnerships over the quantity of them.
Carly’s vision for minimalist designs in high quality, eco-friendly materials that can be worn for years has remained central to LAUDE the Label’s design philosophy from the beginning.
Each year, new efforts in environmental consciousness and new strides in holistic employment of women across the world brings LAUDE closer toward our vision of honoring the earth & maker equally to the consumer.
A move to New Zealand in '03 let a family of sailing enthusiasts see the need for fun, fresh and functional, protective gear for kids on the water-- something now available.
Launched for the junior sailing market, there was quick expansion from baby to older teens, then adults. This made them an official full family line of swimwear.
But just offering swimwear wasn't enough for founder Liz Eglinton. She committed to sun protection-- suits are rated UPF50+ that means it blocks 98% of all harmful UVA (aging rays) and UVB (burning rays). The sun protection comes from the weave of the fabric (no nasty chemicals are added).
In addition, Snapper Rock commits to Earth sustainability in using recycled materials when available.
Liz's passion anchors in wanting children outside, enjoying nature, exploring in carefree summers while keeping them safe.
