Sairey Gernes: How I Built My Intimate Brand Off a “One Size Fits All” Undergarment

Within the first five minutes of speaking with Gernes, I felt an instant connection. It could have been the fact that both of us were wearing matching white tank tops and had similar nose studs or the way we bonded over the love of travel and sustainable fashion. However, her cheery, striking personality, grabbed my attention and made me want to hear everything about her life and the business she created. Photo by Russell Heeter and Kaylee LaMoine When I first asked Gernes the tough questions about what made her want to become an entrepreneur, she mentioned how owning her own business was never the end goal. "I didn't necessarily set out to start a business. I really didn't," she said. The direction behind Urban Undercover began with Gernes’ love of travel. It all started when she took her first trip out of the country during her senior year in high school. Since then, her adoration toward traveling grew even more. Gernes had the opportunity to study abroad in Spain and continually moved to different states since graduating. Photo by Russell Heeter and Kaylee LaMoine Gernes first received an undergraduate degree in Spanish at the University of Michigan. However, she wasn’t sure about what type of career she wanted to pursue. Therefore, a few years later, Gernes decided to move to Miami to chase a Master’s degree in Advertising. The journey doesn’t stop there. Like many other recent graduates, she hit a roadblock again, where she was unsure what path she wanted to follow. With a few freelance positions in advertising and serving jobs to pay off the loans, Gernes was on the move always until she found her next calling. Similar to many others in current society, Gernes is a go-getter. Between balancing multiple jobs every day and having a social life, she was always on the move. Gernes described how she would leave her home at six a.m. and not return until after 10