Cheeky: These Girls Rock!

The Fabulous Ms. T. took me tonight to the launch of a new clothing line for Cheeky: A Brilliantly Brazen Clothing Line - so cute!! Cheeky is the compilation of two designers and a dream of bringing unique Irish phrases to t-shirts with an infusion of graphic design and floral prints with birds, wings and emboidery.

The girls of Cheeky used the Pioneer Bar on the Bowery as their launching ground, inviting all their friends to view their new designs to the beat of three local DJs. In the back of the party, Cheeky t-shirts were on sale, and oh what a hard selection!


Here's one of the partners/founders of Cheeky herself.

How they did it:
It was loud, and the designers were butterflies among their fans, but I managed to get a bit of the start-up story. Both designers work in the fashion industry, and had hopped from job to job, honing their skills. One girl designs floral fabric patterns, and the other has a strong graphic design background. As friends, they always got a kick out of funny Irish phrases one of their husbands would say, and said to themselves: "We should put these on t-shirts!" Realizing their skills and specialties, they partnered to form Cheeky LLC. They conceptualize the design, and one puts it on the computer, while the other is in charge of production. Both designers pick up the loose ends, and the blend is great.

For this first round, the girls bought blank American Apparel t-shirts and cut them up, making their own shape of the shirt and producing the edited version. Cheeky t-shirts are manufactured in New York, everything from the printing on the t-shirt to the embroidery to the sewing. The designers had their hands in the mix when they washed each t-shirt that was on sale last night, distressing them and doing whatever else needs to be done to make a t-shirt cool and comfortable. Well done!

The Fabulous Ms. T. and me finally made our selections among the 2005 designs. You can't see it, but there's a bird print with pink embroidery adorning mine and a floral whirl on T's. All the bar tenders, and a growing number of people in the bar, were wearing different t-shirts.


Cheeky t-shirts for next season are made exclusively for Cheeky, meaning no more American Apparel. Cheeky picked all their own fabric and dyes, making the next collection more of an explosion into their originality. But I still have my first year's, which is a collector's item.



Tonight's shout outs:
Cheeky
The Luddite Lawyer for Non-Lawyers