We had the good fortune of connecting with Denise Cirillo and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Denise, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My Daughter, model Clare Cirillo and I always talked about starting a mother/daughter, women owned business together. I have many years in marketing and advertising and Clare in the fashion/modeling industry. We put our red-heads together to create OverLay- the only ALL-SHEER fashion collection, designed to layer over your current pieces to create multiple looks with what you already have in your closet! I know right! Women always have those staple pieces in their closet they wear over and over again, that everyone has seen multiple times. Just layer on and OverLay and instantly transform your boring pieces into something new and fabulous!
Our collection is available online at www.Overlayfashion.com
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Our brand is unique and affordable! We truly wanted women to have a beautiful affordable way to shake up their current wardrobe! We are unique in that we are an ALL SHEER collection designed to layer over pieces you already have in your closet, for a complete transformation. After years in corporate, I decided to take a leap and make my hard work, work for me, rather than someone else. Doing that is never easy. It was a year of development and lots of hours, but creating something on your own for yourself is worth it. Just believe in yourself and your product and you will succeed! Everyone has it in them, just don’t give up!
Starting a mother/daughter business is some thing I thought of for a long time. During NYFW I watched Clare walking a runway and she was wearing a sheer dress with a slip attachment. That’s when the light bulb went off. I thought wow let’s create a collection of beautiful all sheer designs and let women choose what they wear underneath!
And so OverLay was created!
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well a wine vineyard of course! Once a year I go away with my best friends to a vineyard! I bring an OverLay for everyone and we sip wine and have a cheeseboard wearing our OverLays- always a conversation starter! I live in the same town I grew up in so we always start with a stroll past our elementary school, our old childhood homes and then into the town of Katonah for shopping and a little outdoor lunch at Whitlock for possibly the best veggie burger on the planet!
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We would like to thank our family and friends for their support and help with our launch and our business! We love to give back. Shout out to the Operation Prom Network (formerly Operation PROM)- a non profit organization that helps low-income students attend their prom. OverLay has partnered with our local chapter and designed a special collection to donate to their efforts!
Website: https://overlayfashion.com/
Instagram: Overlay_fashion
Linkedin: Denise Cirillo
Facebook: OverLay Fashion
Image Credits
photo credits – Nataliya Karpov and Gabe Araujo