Verrier style: a little bit Seattle, a little bit Fitzgerald and Matisse

NEW YORK — On the same day that Fashion Week bible The Daily proclaimed her an "ingenue designer on the rise," 24-year-old Ashleigh Verrier is sitting at a black-and-white checkered table formerly known as the family dining-room table from her childhood home in Madison Park.

Only now, the huge table — which looks like it should be hosting the Mad Hatter's tea party, or a chess game — is at the center of Verrier's 22nd-floor studio in Manhattan's Garment District, which is filled with light from huge windows overlooking the Hudson River.

"I cut the entire fall collection on this table," said Verrier, whose line is called Verrier. "It was destined to be a fashion table. We mostly ate in our kitchen at home."

Verrier is a graduate of Seattle's Bush School and New York's Parsons School of Design, where she studied under Tim Gunn of "Project Runway" fame and interned at Proenza Schouler. Nordstrom in downtown Seattle picked up her fall 2005 and spring 2006 collections — available in early March — in its Via C department.

"I used to go to Nordstrom all the time when I was in Seattle, so it's really special to know that my clothes are hanging there," Verrier said. "Each season they get a little bit bigger in the orders, so that's been positive."

Verrier made her Fashion Week debut with a presentation of her fall 2006 collection, inspired by the concept of "relaxed luxury" circa 1930s, at the St. Regis hotel last week.

Q : Did growing up in Seattle influence you as a designer?

A : Living in Seattle, I think I really adopted, even subconsciously, style scenarios of what you'd want to wear in Seattle. There were a lot of vintage stores on Broadway that we used to go to ... I liked that whole sensibility on Broadway. Seattle, I think, is really eclectic in its style. There's a population in Seattle that is excited to spend money on clothes, but they also want to be comfortable. ... People like to find nifty thrift moments.

Q : What makes Verrier appealing to a Seattle audience?

A : Right now, fashion's direction is to mix and match pieces that are very high-end with T-shirts or thrift-shop finds. I think Seattle has that similar sensibility.

We have a lot of separates that we offer [in the Verrier line]. If they want to take a skirt and put it with something vintage or a little grunge, that's OK by me.

Q : What do you like for fall 2006 so far, and have you seen anything that might work in Seattle?

A : You never know, when you see it go down the runway with the hair and the makeup, how it's going to translate to retail. I noticed Marc's [Jacobs] show had a lot of grunge themes. Seattle is obvious for the grunge movement; I don't know if grunge will go back there. There's been a lot of houndstooth fabric and traditional flannels.

It's keeping with the theme of volume, but mixing in something more sleek and modern ... almost like wearing your boyfriend's coat with something really feminine.

Q : Tell us more about your own presentation here.

A: The hair and makeup was inspired by "The Beautiful and the Damned" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. [The idea is] this girl who is beautiful and put together, but a little bit off. She does her makeup quickly; nothing is too perfect.

For me, a lot of it was trying to grow up from last season.

Q : Your spring 2006 line will be available at Nordstrom in Seattle next month. What inspired that collection?

A : The inspiration came from Henri Matisse. I was interested in a lot of detail ... I created this novelty stitch.

A lot of it is easy clothes, a little seaside beach culture, a little yachting culture. A lot of light clothes, which is very Seattle. I used light blues, light greens, light purples, khakis.

Think of a beach and colors you would see on an umbrella.

Pamela Sitt: 206-464-2376 or psitt@seattletimes.com