Today we’d like to introduce you to Annemarie Furey.
Hi Annemarie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I grew up in the Hudson Valley of NY sewing and tailoring as a 4Her, modeling and showing at county fairs, state fairs, and culminating with my represented NY State at the National Congress for Clothing & Textiles. I then attended the Rhode Island School of Design studying Apparel Design. Since I entered college having hand tailored suits and jackets, I was looking for something new and when I discovered hand flat knitting machines I jumped at the possibility of a new technique to make clothing. It was clear to me that I needed a masters and doctorate in production/sourcing to be able to move concepts from idea to the consumer so my first position involved a large amount of travel and training on production issues, negotiations, and systems. I was lucky to be recruited into a position after an internship. My base for my first positions in the apparel industry was Boston, and after several years I decided I wanted to move to Vermont. I cold called Burton Snowboards and said I was a working designer looking to relocate to Vermont and could I show them my portfolio? I started when they opened their new offices in Burlington. My role there was all apparel that wasn’t nylon. It was a lot of categories and the growth was explosive. It was back during this time that I started attending the Outdoor Retailer trade show. Meanwhile, up the road from Burton, Millie & John Merrill who started Turtle Fur were looking to take their company to the next level so they could eventually sell it. Turtle Fur was eventually sold, and after several years of integrating the new owner’s existing brand into our R&D processes, I was ready to move into a new direction. I was a judge at “Project OR” at the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake from Jan 2010 – Jan 2013, and started a consulting business, assisting mostly Snow Industry brands with launching new products. It was around this time that it struck me that “farm to table” values didn’t seem to be getting applied to apparel. Continuing to consult, I launched my clothing brand as an experiment. I’m the chef. The knitters I work with are the farms. Instead of the traditional way of designing apparel, we work together to build products that utilize existing infrastructure and materials. I work with small to mid sized family owned factories in democracies creating small batch runs of beautiful colorful products that have a timeless appeal so they can last season after season. Natural fibers and trims take care of our skin and our environment by reducing exposure to petrochemicals. Those who understand “buy better, buy less, buy 2nd hand” have embraced what I’m doing. Most of my customers find me at curated Makers Markets where they can interact with the product. I do have a website, but I encourage a phone call to discuss body type before a purchase is made to reduce unnecessary shipping of goods. Working this way is a labor of love. I love that people “live in” my designs, I love knowing that the people who make the goods are paid liveable wages, and I love being able to offer goods that reduce our impact on the environment.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. I started with just pop ups. Our house got overrun by boxes of sweaters so I had to find a warehouse, and in my search found a small hair salon that I converted into my studio/shop after many hours of labor to make it workable. That opened Memorial Day weekend 2018 and we all know what happened spring of 2019. I had to pay someone to limit the number of people who were coming through the door once I was allowed to be partially open, and of course pop up events ceased to happen. Being so limited during early years is a big hurdle to overcome, but I’m happy to report that those who have my goods love them and help spread the word. In Feb 2022 I broke both bones and tore the ligament in a wrist so even though pop ups restarted, it was a lot to just get back to being able to do them. 2023 is looking up! I have use of both hands and look forward to pop up events in the months ahead!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m an apparel geek. I’ve developed fabrics for the Snowsports Industry (Doug Lumb of Polartec credits me with pushing them to develop the precursor to Power Dry ™ fabric), I was the first to use silver fibers from Noble Fibers in microfleece, and developed windstopping products that were used by Erik Weihenmayer to summit Ama Dablam and Everest since he could hear through them. My product development is mindful. I look at all different aspects of a product, not just design, or just functionality, or just price, or just “good enough”.
What sets me apart is that I’ve done so much over my 30+ years in the industry but I’m always exploring, researching, and testing new concepts. My current line is sourced from democracies and has no polyester or acrylic in the designs. That’s rare for fully fashioned knitwear. Most of my line can be worn by anyone, and I have couples that share pieces. My sizing is XS – 2X and my local models range from teens through those in their 80’s. It’s a pleasure to help people feel great about themselves no matter their age or size.
How do you define success?
Setting goals and achieving them, or learning from mistakes to take a new direction and achieve better results, those are both successes.
Work/life balance is also important. A walk with dogs, time spent in the perennial garden, or time in the kayak or on the slopes keeps me inspired and motivated. Knowing that I’m helping move the needle of the apparel industry (which is highly polluting and whose practices have taken advantage of people and the planet) is rewarding.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ProductTT.com
- Instagram: @product_think_tank
- Facebook: @productthinktank
Image Credits
Lincoln Gap Photography, Sara Hughes, and Jascha Herlihy
