A California native, Bree Hylkema developed a penchant for career wear at age seven, insisting on donning a skirt suit and tie to school. After completing her degree at University of California, Berkeley, Bree worked as a project manager at a tech company. Several years later, she cut her teeth sewing theater costumes. The theater is where Bree met Kyra (also an FiSF Designer in Residence), who would become her business partner.

 

Today, Bree Hylkema is an established Bay Area costume designer and, together with Kyra, co-founder of Vermeulen & Co. Vermeulen offers beautifully fitted career wear for women with curves, whether size four or 14. The company is founded on a commitment to slow fashion.

 

Bree is an active member of the Oakland-based Five Ton Crane artist collective, which has exhibited in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. While roaming the Gobi Desert in 2012, Bree visited visiting Mongolian felters. Bree’s set and wardrobe design clients include HBO, Showtime, The New York Times Magazine and 7×7 Magazine. Her work has been featured in Vogue.