In a former life, Heather Dwyer was a senior executive at an investment firm in an office park. After 14 years, she decided to take a break.
“It was a great place to work, but heaven forbid you needed to run out and buy something,” she said. “I never had the time. I didn’t even buy my own clothes. My secretary did, and if I didn’t like something or it didn’t fit, it went out with the 5 p.m. parcel pick-up.”
Dwyer decided to take a vacation from her busy life. She wanted to travel and have some time to herself, so she took a trip some might compare to the novel “Eat, Pray, Love.”
It was while climbing through the Himalayan Mountains in Nepal, Dwyer finally thought she had decided to go back to work. She was thinking of hiring some new assistants, and was figuring out her new schedule when she stopped herself.
“I just thought it doesn’t have to be this way,” said Dwyer. “I can make a change.”
Thinking back to her former hectic schedule, she came up with the idea for a mobile boutique that could travel anywhere but would especially cater to the employees of office parks. Dwyer was still on her trip when she began making plans and drawing sketches of the boutique.
The original plan was for the shop to be pulled on the back of a semi-truck. Those plans soon proved difficult, so she abandoned that idea but kept the name. Dwyer then opted to buy a large pick-up truck and had a custom-made trailer built to fit her needs.
“I wanted the inside to look like any small boutique one would see in downtown Saratoga or at Crossgates Mall,” said Dwyer.
Although there are some products inside, most items are custom-made.
Semi-Lux specializes in dress shirts for men and women. There are a variety on the rack or there are books filled with different fabrics and designs that a customer can choose from. Dwyer will do the measurements on-site, and when the shirt is ready, it can either be shipped back or hand delivered.
Dwyer also offers business dresses, along with accessories for both men and women. Items include ties, socks, purses, jewelry and hats.
“Everything I sell is made in the USA and very high quality,” said Dwyer. “I don’t buy from someone unless I’ve been to the factory or the artist’s studio myself. It’s also not a forum for bargain hunters, but it’s not as expensive as people think.”
A custom-made men’s shirt runs at about $129.
Dwyer will also set-up private appointments for those who would like an office visit. Certain items can be re-designed to meet specific needs, with very detailed measurements taken for each person’s body type.
Right now, the business is based out of Menands, but really has no set home because it can travel anywhere. Dwyer, who lives in Albany, said she will travel anywhere from Saratoga to New Jersey if she gets a call that she’s wanted.
“I recently signed a contract to partner with a real estate investment trust, so I’m allowed to park on their properties with office space,” said Dwyer. “That deal took me nearly six months, but that’s just the first step. I still have to make the sales.”
As part of her business, Dwyer is also partnering with Team Red, White and Blue to get custom-made shirts to disabled veterans. For every 10 shirts Dwyer sells, she will donate one shirt to a disabled veteran. Team RWB will work with Dwyer to find the veterans and get them in touch so the shirts can be designed and measured to fit their needs. The shirts will be especially helpful for job interviews.
“There’s no reason a veteran should have to get a shirt from a big box store that doesn’t fit their new physique,” said Dwyer. “Someday, I’d like to be able to do a lot more.”
Local veterans who participate in the Wounded Warrior Project have agreed to be her models.
For more information on how to visit Semi-Lux, contact Heather Dwyer at (518) 545-6296 or email her at [email protected].