Today we’d like to introduce you to Sairey Gernes.
Hi, Sairey; we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi! I started as a creative, doing graphic design, logo work, and other things for people. While doing this, I searched for better-fitting everyday underwear that was still pretty. I couldn’t find them anywhere. At that time, everyone wanted to be Spanx (they were starting to be a household name) or another Underwear brand garnering a following as a”one size fits all.” But. One size does not fit all, and Spanx was extreme shapewear then. The middle ground needed to be included. So, I embarked on a journey to figure out how to make better underwear. It was a challenge for many reasons. At that time, the internet was less widely used for information than now, so there was a lot of calling around, and I came from something other than an apparel background. I was trying to make connections and learn what I didn’t know in an industry I had never been exposed to. It was quite a journey, but I found a fantastic pattern designer, Cheryl, who helped me create our first underwear line. After a few fails with factories, some of which I lost money, we finally found a group of local sewers to sew the underwear for us. People loved them, and I sold them at all the pop-ups around town. However, I found myself at a crossroads because although people loved our underwear, I didn’t. I needed to find myself building a business in intimate apparel. I needed a reason for why I was doing what I was doing, something more significant that inspired me and hopefully others, something that provided hope and change. So I took some time off. Then, in 2014, I rebranded the underwear line from Irely to UrbanUndercover, where we focus on comfortable and stylish travel apparel for women. It fit because our underwear always had a unique fold-and-go pocket so they could travel discreetly anywhere with you (they still do). And travel is my passion. Connecting the world because the more we can get out and see how others live, learn from each other, and try to understand each other, the more kind and empathetic our world will be. Our mission now is to encourage travel and connection by making it easy to pack and go. We opened our MSP Airport store in the summer of 2019 and closed with the Pandemic in March 2020. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster since then (again, thank you, pandemic), but we are back open as MSP and working hard on increasing our online efforts. Our community and customers are so unique; it’s a fun business.
Please talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned. Looking back, is it easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not at all, haha! Nope. It has been a total challenge. When I started, I had yet to learn what I was doing. And the internet was not widely used like it is now (around 2010). It was a slow learning process because it involved a lot of calling and asking others to connect me to someone who might know something that could help me learn about the apparel business, sourcing, fabrics, and running a business in general. Then, we started to hit our stride in 2019 when we opened our MSP airport location, but then we were almost shut down by the pandemic. We had only one revenue stream – direct to consumers through our airport locations (we were in Denver before the pandemic), pop-ups, and events like the State Fair. The pandemic shut all that down, and we didn’t have an online presence. So we’ve struggled for a few years. We are starting to hit a stride again, but it is not smooth. It’s more apparent as we have reopened our airport store, and our online store is gathering traction. We also added wholesale, where we sell to Destination Spas, Hotels, and Resorts. We learned from the pandemic that there are better ideas than having one revenue stream. And then, on top of the pandemic, we face other small business challenges: finances (we are still owner-financed), staffing, etc. All the things.
As you know, we’re big fans of UrbanUndercover. What can you tell our readers who might need to be more familiar with the brand?
I am the owner of UrbanUndercover. We specialize in designing and manufacturing elevated, comfortable, and versatile travel apparel for the modern traveling woman. Our pieces certainly can be worn daily, but we always design with travel in mind to ensure they are durable, versatile, packable, and great airplane outfits. Our mission is to make it easy to pack and go confidently so you can focus on the experience and live your story. We want to connect the world because we truly believe that if people can see how others live and try to understand one another, our world would be kinder and more empathetic. We aren’t just designing clothing; we are on a mission to foster better relationships with our global neighbors. And I am most proud of our mission and sticking to it; it’s the heart of our brand. We often hear from people during the pandemic that our pieces are so comfortable they’re great” they work from home” pieces, but that is so opposite to our messaging. We believe in getting out, experiencing life, and taking the trip. So we stuck to our messaging through the pandemic, but it was tricky. And I am proud of our clothing. We partner with some fantastic, ethical, woman-owned factories and believe in the highest quality standards. The relationships mean everything to me, from our customers to our Team Members to our factories.
What makes you happy?
Travel! Dogs! Sunshine and bodies of water! My Daughter! 🙂 haha! And a glass of wine. And if I could have all those at once, laughing with my friends and family, I would be good. Oh! And it’s a great book. I love getting lost in a book. It’s a form of travel, experiencing something new.
Pricing:
- $10-$200
Contact Info:
- Website: https://urbanundercover.com/
- Instagram: instagram.com/urbanundercover
- Facebook: facebook.com/Iamurbanundercover
- Other: tiktok.com/urbanundercover
Image Credits
Credit for Photos to Lindsay McOien
