Shernett Swaby

meet SHERNETT SWABY

SINCE GRADUATING FROM The International Academy of Design in 1998, resident designer/business mastermind Shernett Swaby has survived several years in the fickle world of retail. And the Jamaican native is getting ready to push her label at L’Oreal Fashion Week in September and expand into the Big Apple.

“I can’t imagine doing anything else,” says Swaby. “Every year my business grows and it’s good to look back and say, ‘I did it all myself.’ ”

From her eponymous Shernett Swaby couture line to the comfort-driven everyday basics of her Designer Picks collection (all pieces less than $100, like blouson tunic dresses and empire-waist shirts), Swaby has you covered. The higher-end custom line includes dresses wrapped in swirls of intricately stitched ribbons and flourishes of overlapping leaf-shaped leather. “The 3-D effect sets me apart,” says Swaby. “It shows the passion I have for my work and you can’t deny that it’s a piece of art.” And now there are plans to expand into the back room with a gallery-style display space to showcase all her fantastical creations.

Swaby also offers free alterations on all of her garments for as long as you own them. (Hmmm, just like Harry Rosen.)

187A Queen St East. 416-367-1333, www.shernettswaby.com