SCARBOROUGH, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- There's a designer in Maine who has had plenty of opportunities to leave a state that isn't really a mecca for fashion, but Ashley Lauren Kerr is proud to have her brand based in Scarborough.
Kerr first started her company five years ago with the brand really taking off two years in. She's has always stayed true to her Maine routes focusing on customer service and making an impact with the women who chose to wear an Ashley Lauren dress.
"Keeping my business here in Maine was really important to me because I'm able to give back to the people in Maine and the girls that maybe need a dress when they're going outside and representing my home state on a national level," said Kerr.
The young designer has dressed many pageant queens across the country and also sponsors pageants including one in Nicaragua where her dresses went down the runway to raise money for Operation Smile. Achievements like helping communities in need and seeing her creations on winning contestants keep Kerr and the team going.
"Miss California Teen USA won in our dress and when we saw us getting tagged and we started to see the social media and we saw how beautiful she looked it's like wow all the extra construction, attention, beading and everything we put into the dresses, it makes the difference," said Kerr.
Since starting her company, Ashley Lauren dresses have been enjoyed by women all around the world with show rooms in New York City, Atlanta, and Beijing.
The main office is located on Route One in Scarborough and you can also find out more by visiting their website ashleylaurenkerr.com.