meet the edge of urge staff

jessie williams: owner & proprietress
From her early days working to get accepted to the NC School of the Arts program near her hometown of Greensboro, NC, to opening her own boutique and clothing line, Jessie Williams has fought to prove herself in an industry not always willing to accept the newcomer. But through diligence, determination, and the love and support from a core group of family and friends, she has proven herself as a person worthy of notice in the creative community. From the pages of the New York Times and Lucky magazine to red carpets and city streets across the globe, her work has since been gaining recognition on a daily basis. In 2002, within two months of graduating from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Jessie launched Edge of Urge, an independent design label and boutique from a heartfelt vision that was to her "as clear as a sparkling diamond." Although she has no formal training in clothing or textiles, her background in fine art and design gives her a deep appreciation and understanding of quality, individuality, color, form, lines, and texture. She draws her inspiration from the infinite potential these attributes lend to fabric, needle and thread. Specializing in high quality jerseys, Jessie constructs pieces with a luxurious feel and a perfect fit that move with the body. This quality of clothing is attained through a free-hand technique rather than using a set pattern, allowing the fabric to actually be draped on the body creating a much more natural fit. As a direct extension of Jessie's character, Edge of Urge shows an admiration for individuals who creatively use fashion as an outlet of personal expression. Being the independent and free spirited designer that she is, it is Jessie's goal and her achievement to make custom-made and accessible clothing, swimsuits, and accessories for people of all paths, and to bring out an inner confidence in women of every age, shape and size.

Katie S: general manager
Where do we begin? Raleigh born and raised, UNC Grad '04. Great with the numbers and phone calls. Easly distracted by dogs and small children. Keeping a nice supply of munchies in her desk, and will share with anyone. In high hopes to win the Lottery one day. Sometime she can be spotted at trivia night. One of the nicest folks you will ever meet.

Jess Y: floor manager
Don't let this nice Nancy fool ya. She'll throw 'dem bows if she has to. If this Williamsburg, VA native doesn't get you, her boyfriend will. But more than likely it will end with you getting a Frye boot to the face. With a fun little mix of feisty, fashionable, and straight up freak nasty, this girl is one talented cookie. You can see some of her work in store and hopefully we'll be seeing more. However, seeing as how she's our resident go-to-girl, she might not have much time. She manages, styles, busts a move, photographs, and sucks down as many Starbucks as possible. There's only so much time in the day folks.

Bess D: website & graphic design
I am a nerd. Computers are my friends.
I never thought that I would be making a living doing something I love... I've been designing and developing websites since I was fifteen. Flash and photoshop are my two most favorite programs. As much as I love technology, I am an avid horder of vinyl records, vintage cameras and equipment, old bicycles, and so on. The best thing about my job is I can do it anywhere in the world!
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whenbessattacks.com

Katie T: staff
Katie-Blair is the most charming case of OCD you will ever meet. She loves to clean and organize more than anyone I know, and I wouldn't be offended if she broke into my house in the middle of the night and reorganized everything. Born and raised in what she describes as the "boonies" outside Richmond, Virginia, this self-proclaimed tomboy could impress even the girliest girl with her extensive wardrobe and shoe collection. This could have something to do with the fact that she is definately our resident retail therapist. Apparently a new pair of boots is a good cure for insomnia. Oh, and she also loves pirates.