Meet the Ventresca sisters of Sea Cliff. Noelle is the visionary. Kali is the perfectionist. And their intimate apparel brand, Impish Lee, is taking lingerie and loungewear to a whole new level.
Their online customization tool that is user-friendly, convenient and fun to use, enables women of all shapes and sizes to design lingerie based on their body measurements to reflect their individualized style and taste. Sizes range from size 0 to 30 and bra sizes are 28A up to 44J with custom sizing available, all at a ready-to-wear price point.
“We offer the largest size range of a single brand in our industry,” says Kali. “We have trillions of possible designs that can be created, with 50-plus fabrics to customize so you can be true to your own aesthetic. No other brands are allowing you to do the same thing, in a store or otherwise.”
In addition to getting a perfect fit, women can choose from an assortment of different lining colors to match their skin tone and luxurious fabrics, trims, and finishes.
“We believe that since our customers know themselves better than we do, it is imperative to include them in the design process,” says Noelle.
The sisters, who enjoy working together so much that have been described as “inseparable,” stay on the pulse of the ever-changing industry. Two to three times a year they release a new collection that features unique designs, color combinations, and fabrics.
“While every design is customizable, we like to inspire so that the process of designing their own apparel is easier,” says Kali. “We hope to encourage women to design garments they will love forever.”
Being environmentally conscious is very important to the duo. Their company focuses on sustainability and ethical practices. They support the local economy by having their manufacturing facility in Sea Cliff.
Currently, the pair is gearing up for their next venture, a custom swimwear line that will launch in 2019 — not too shabby for a company that grew organically in 2012, when they started building their boutique lingerie brand on Etsy.
Their handmade designs caught the attention of retailer Urban Outfitters. In 2015, they moved from Etsy to their own site that later evolved into a fully customizable intimate apparel brand.
Their initial investment was $45,000, including a $15,000 Kick- starter campaign that included investments from family and friends that went toward the purchase of equipment and software development tools. Today, Impish Lee continues to thrive.
For the last year, they have been working with Consortium, a specialized retailer for customer fashion brands for men and women featuring bespoke shirts, accessories, shoes, watches, fragrance, jewelry and more. Impish Lee has been participating in their 12-city pop-up tour.
Their first stops were Las Vegas and Chicago and now they are in New York with a pop-up store in Soho that is open through Sept. 1.
“Bringing fashion and accessory brands together to showcase a different way of shopping that is sustainable, ethical, with each product made exclusively for the consumer, is a huge feat, and so greatly needed in our current world of fashion,” says Kali. “We had to be involved.”
Currently, Impish Lee is sold exclusively on their website at ImpishLee.com or with Custom Consortium, with no plans of opening up a retail location just yet.
“We want to remain lean in our early growth,” says Kali, “though we are certainly not opposed to a physical location at some point down the line.”
