Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Annie McCurdy. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Annie, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I was presented with a very unique opportunity that was too good to pass up. The clear choice to was to step up and go for it. When I met my life partner, Daniel, I was in the midst of working with a few different start-ups, including a non-profit Protest Artist Collective, and assisting a shoe designer in her studio. With the pandemic shut down, my circle became smaller, and I began to spend more time helping Daniel in his studio, not realizing the treasure trove that was all around me. Daniel’s studio is also his family’s former coat factory in the city of Newburgh. The Vicki Clothing Company manufactured thousands of coats for brand names from 1953-1998, before laying off most of the staff and pivoting to creating custom boat enclosures for flashy speedboats on the Hudson River. The boat business ended with the market crash of 2008, and the factory has been laying in wait for its next iteration ever since.
In 2021, I started my label So Vicki, inspired by the industrial history of the Hudson Valley and the stylish residents that strolled up and down Broadway back when Newburgh was named the ‘All American City’ (1952). I implement techniques acquired during my education at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan. Using the deadstock materials leftover from the factory’s heyday, I sew original designs while repurposing textiles and using zero-waste methods to create men’s and women’s ready-to-wear ranging from outerwear, coats, jumpsuits, shirts, pants, accessories, and more. The factory, now referred to as Vicki Island, is back in business.
Annie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Annie McCurdy, and I have had an appreciation for clothing and craftsmanship from a young age. I grew up scouring the racks of thrift stores, excited by the thrill of the hunt, discovering retro silhouettes and noticing how the sizing and fabric quality changed over the years from vintage clothing to contemporary. My high school offered a robust fashion design program, where I was able to build up a portfolio and learn the basic principles of garment construction. I was grateful to be accepted into the fashion design program at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan. While in FIT, I truly learned to craft garment from concept to final garment, learning draping, pattern making, and tailoring techniques. While in FIT, I was required to take liberal arts classes alongside the design courses, and I thoroughly enjoyed ecology and field bio classes, but was concerned by the disconnect that was apparent to me in my education.
The fashion industry is a global machine that focuses on profit over people, and doesn’t seem to consider the lifecycle of garments. In ecology class, I recall my professor describing an island of garbage (at the time it was the size of Texas, I’m sure it’s grown much larger by now) that floats in the middle of the ocean. I could not separate the rapid pace of production asked by the fashion industry from the ecological devastation and amount of waste produced by it.
While studying abroad in Milan, Italy during my senior year, I went to a film release screening of The True Cost, a documentary by Andrew Morgan which confirmed my fears about the fashion industry. After graduating, I knew my heart wasn’t in it. I spent a few years working for odd jobs and start-ups, always returning to design in my free time.
I now realize that I needed to take that time to unlearn and relearn what I love about fashion in the first place, and how I can create a space for creativity that doesn’t take advantage of workers or put stress onto the environment. I have been lucky enough to connect with like-minded sustainable fashion advocates in the Hudson Valley and I am so excited about the sustainable fashion movement and the awareness it’s gained in recent years.
I create limited runs and one-of-a-kind pieces using deadstock and repurposed materials. My next collection will debut at Hudson Valley Sustainable Fashion Week Runway Show in September. I put my heart into each piece, and look forward to growing the business to form a team of workers that will get the factory back up and running. I have tons of ideas, and this is only the beginning!
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
In my schooling at the Fashion Institute of Technology, it seemed like there was one career path available after graduation: you get an entry-level design position at a large brand, none of your designs belong to you, you work long hours and are underpaid, but you are also grateful to be working in the industry. You will work for years and years up the ladder, until you become a creative director or branch off and start your own brand, using the connections accrued from your precious position.
This was my perception, and I didn’t feel inclined to take that route. Upon graduating, I left the city and was drawn to spending time in nature. I spent a few years working odd jobs and seeking out creative opportunities. I was lucky enough to begin working for a fashion designer in late 2019 that produced her own line of doggie s=accessories with matching carrying bags out of her design studio in Yonkers, NY. Sewing in her studio and seeing how a one-woman brand functioned was an eye-opening experience. It showed me that there is a way to participate in the fashion industry on your own terms, and if you are passionate about the product and love what you do, anything is possible.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
Last year I began hosting pop-up sales in the Hudson Valley and NYC of So Vicki pieces along with a selection of vintage clothing left from a previous job as the manager of a consignment shop. These pop-ups have been so fun and a wonderful way of introducing my brand to people and getting feedback about my products. Telling the story in person of the business and seeing the reaction people have is wonderful, and I look forward to telling the same story on digital platforms to reach a broader audience. I have also started hosting community mending workshops and clothing swaps, and while they are not focused on my clothing brand, they inspire conversations about rethinking your clothing and lengthening your closet’s lifespan, which aligns with my passion for sustainability and the ethos of So Vicki.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sovicki.fashion
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sovicki.fashion
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoooVicki/
Image Credits
Image 1: (Annie in the Green Turtleneck in the studio): Rick Lash : https://www.ricklash.com/ : Instagram: @thericklash Image 2: (Annie wearing her garments & Holding jacket): Jay B. Ballesteros : https://jayb.photography/ Instagram: @jayb.us Image 3: (Annie & Her models from Hudson Valley Sustainable fashion week 2023): Amelia C. Williams : https://www.ameliacwilliams.com/ : Instagram: @ameliacwilliams_