GENERAL MANAGER & LEAD CONSULTANT

Katie (she/her) has been part of Duchess Clothier for almost 15 years, where she finds joy in helping clients bring their dream garments to life, designing new creations, and occasionally indulging in some office supply organization. Before joining Duchess, she owned and operated a vintage and handmade shop in her hometown in Florida. With professional experience in art education, apparel production, manufacturing, and design, Katie feels incredibly lucky to be part of a team that not only excels creatively but is also deeply aligned ethically. Working with such a talented and purpose-driven group makes every project more fulfilling and meaningful. What she loves most is creating suits that help people feel confident, comfortable, and totally themselves. She has a soft spot for Donegal tweeds, soft pretzels, horror movies, and pugs.

CONSULTANT & ALTERATIONS ASSISTANT

Baili (she/her) is never one to turn down a pastel suit, or a 10-button cuff for that matter. She is all about the details, the colors, the cheeky monograms...anything that can transform "a suit" to "YOUR suit." When Baili isn't pouring over the newest collar felt options, you can find her living out her cottagecore dreams in her vegetable garden or her reading nook with her cat, Baby. Baili particularly enjoys artisanal pickles, ABBA, British TV, "hygge" anything, Thomas Hardy, and a spicy bloody mary on a rainy Sunday morning.

SHOWROOM MANAGER

Foley (they/them) is a long-time Duchess client who, when presented with the opportunity, jumped at the chance to work with the team. They bring a long history in customer service in all kinds of custom goods… as well as a background in theatre, fine art, and woodworking. When they’re not out in their workshop building beautiful, useful things, or in their studio making art, they are probably relaxing at home watching cartoons with their too-many cats, Robin, Toby, Birdie, and Rue. Foley is a huge nerd for history, science, sharks, and TTRPGs. They are also a champion hugger. Just an FYI.

HEAD OF ALTERATIONS / DESIGNER

At any given moment, Erin (she/her) is likely thinking about a piece of clothing. How was it constructed? What does the fabric feel like? What mood or era does it evoke? Her passion for apparel became a career path when she completed the Apparel Design certificate program at the Portland Fashion Institute. Altering garments at Portland's finest clothier is a dream come true for Erin. She hopes to continue this line of work for many years to come. If you know Erin, you know that she hates spiders! You might not know that one of her favorite types of duck is the Common Merganser--alias, "Goosander"--because of its crazy hairdo and its tendency to make like a submarine.

ALTERATIONS ASSISTANT

KL (she/her) is a life-long learner, craftsperson & artisan, a true “Jade of all trades”. She’s acquired a wide variety of skills over her life, many of which were self-taught via YouTube. From knitting to single-handedly building, hand carving and painting a 7ft wall out of concrete. Her deep passion is learning how things are made and then figuring out how to do it herself. So naturally, when the opportunity arose to learn how to alter fine suiting here at Duchess, she jumped at the chance. She’s always wanted to know how to alter her own clothes and is a dedicated participant in the Slow Fashion movement. She’s been thrilled to learn from such a patient and knowledgeable teacher in Erin, and has loved working with this incredible team of humans.

If you know KL, you know she’s spent most of her life making theater, even receiving an MFA in Directing from the New School for Drama. What you may not know, is that her first turn as a lead in a stage production was at the age of 5, and she wrote and directed her first short play in 10th grade, “The Pink Flamingo” - inspired by the song Follow the Music, on Harry Connick Jr.’s 1994 album “She”. If you’re not familiar, she strongly recommends giving it a listen.

ALTERATIONS ASSISTANT

Bernice (she/her) befriended the Duchess team while working next door at Shoofly Bakery before being recruited for our alterations crew.

Growing up, her working class family in small town Oklahoma taught her the value of handmade dresses and costumes, and the fine art of altering hand-me-downs. Both sets of grandparents are artists & crafters, so she learned from a young age how to glue, sew, paint, sculpt, & make.

She is a member of southern Cheyenne & Arapaho tribes, and is named Anétahéveóóé in her Native language: "Stands Different Woman."

Bernice wants to add bright colors and/or patterns to everything she can. Due to ADD, her current hobby is beading earrings & lanyards - but her longest running hobby is rollerskating.

Her favorite things include: motorcycles & motocross, long haired cats, IPAs, Halloween, swimming in rivers & lakes, collecting vintage ETs & California Raisins, and volunteering at farms with pigs & goats.

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT CAT

A former stray and teen mom, Rue (she/her) occasionally visits our alterations department for moral support and to stress test our break room sofa with her flopping. She is the nosiest girl who ever lived, and enjoys finding the highest perch possible in any given space. Her hobbies include shoutily looking for Foley when they are not in the room, and taking attacks of opportunity on any passing legs.

FOUNDING DUCHESS

The founding Duchess was born in a forest of evergreens at twilight in Washington state. Duchess began as a vintage reproduction shop for the people of Portland, but metamorphosized when Seyta wished more people would wear dapper suits. If Duchess then, is a dream made real, it was dreamed a long time ago by a young, feisty Leo with a penchant for subtle brilliance and an abiding connection to nature. Seyta will always be present with the Duchess dream, but her focus is on her private practice in depth psychology and ancestral healing. (Innerlands.org)