Originally from Rathfarnham in Dublin, this trend-setting fashion designer studied fashion at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. She came to the U.S. after graduating in 1986.

In the States she worked as a waitress before becoming a wardrobe assistant in the film industry. Her last project in this area was designing costumes for the 1992 comedy. My Cousin Vinny. However, by the time the film was released, Kerrigan had already opened a shop in Soho selling her own clothes under the label Daryl K.

In five years her designs have acquired a strong following in the U.S. and the Far East. Last November she opened a second New York outlet, and produced another line called Daryl K-189. She recently signed an agreement with a Japanese manufacturer to create a range of fashion accessories carrying her name. Her success derives from a strong sense of youth trends. The consistent bestseller has been boot-leg hipster jeans and she likes to work with new stretch fabrics and strong colors.

Her success as a new designer was recognized by the fashion world this year when the Council of Fashion Designers presented her with their equivalent of the Oscar, the Perry Ellis Award for Young Designer of the Year, the first time an Irish designer has won any accolade in the award’s 16-year history.