Over this past winter break, UW’s student-run organization Textile and Apparel Student Association (TASA) was fortunate enough to travel to New York City to meet with several distinguished designers and fashion companies. Of the companies visited, TASA had the pleasure to meet with the founder and creative director of Boy Meets Girl, a company founded by one of UW’s very own, Stacy Igel. Igel graduated from UW with three degrees: Design, Retail and Business—very much preparing herself for the roles she would take on when starting her own company.
After working for various companies, both big and small (such as Izod, Elie Tahari, and Zandra Rhodes), Igel founded her own company, Boy Meets Girl. From the beginning, she used her signature logo of two silhouette portraits of a boy and a girl looking at each other, hence the name Boy Meets Girl. The idea originated from seeing silhouette portraits of children at both her own childhood home and her boyfriend’s childhood home. Igel explained to TASA how her company grew out of her apartment (with her first buyer being the high-end department store, Bergdorf Goodman!), where she played a multi-faceted role of designer and business manager. However, the environment TASA saw on the trip was very different than a small Manhattan apartment.
Igel’s company was bought by the Moret group in July of 2010, thus allowing Igel to move into a shiny, new space. Not to be lost in the corporate world, Igel’s design studio is still a very unique and expressive environment, clearly displaying the creative insight that has lead to her success today. She took her old cardboard office pieces (yes, a cardboard desk and chair can hold up quite well) into her new space and also has a cardboard “wish wall,” which TASA placed their carefully wished dreams into.
Igel has gone on to create a young contemporary line that is edgy yet wearable, all while standing out against the slew of ‘Wisconsin’ red and white sweatshirts. In her University line she has added the appropriate university logo to her signature silhouette boxes allowing you to show your school pride and still be the most fashion-forward of your friends. Already proving to be a success at the University of Arizona, Clemson University, Indiana University, Penn State, the University of Texas and the University of Virginia, Igel has taken her line back to her roots and has included Bucky in the mix.
Affordable shirts, hoodies and various other products are currently available at the UW Bookstore or at boymeetsgirlusa.com. The best part is, after purchasing one of her hoodies or T-shirts, you can instagram a photo of yourself wearing the garment and hashtag #boymeetsgirlu and #invasionNYFW for a chance to win two tickets to New York Fashion Week in February! So show your support for your school and a native badger designer and you could win a chance to meet the famous alumni yourself in none other than the Big Apple!
Want more info on how to win a trip to the city that never sleeps? E-mail Kelsey your thoughts and queries at eichman2@wisc.edu.
