Keri Craig-Lee (born 4 March 1958) is an Australian, multi-award-winning fashion designer and retailer. She was the first inductee into the National Retail Association (formerly the Retailers Association of Queensland – RAQ) Hall of Fame in 1987 at age 28, and remains a member of the Federal Executive Committee of Fashion Industries of Australia.

Family history and early life

Craig-Lee was raised in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

. Her parents, Peter and Dianne Craig, founded House of Craig following success managing the Fifth Avenue brand and continue to run the Keri Craig Emporium in the Brisbane Arcade with her brother Jason. She grew up in the Brisbane suburb of Ascot graduated

St Margaret's Anglican Girls School St Margaret's Anglican Girls School is a private, Anglican, day and boarding school for girls. The school is located in Ascot, an inner-northern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The school was founded in 1895 by the Sisters of the S ...

in 1975, and in 1976 obtained a Diploma in Fashion Design and Marketing from

Waukesha County Technical College Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC) is a public community college in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, Waukesha County, Wisconsin. The college has campuses in Waukesha, Wisconsin, Waukesha and Pewaukee, Wisconsin, Pewaukee. It is a member of the W ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Personal life

Craig-Lee married Trevor Lee
Australian Country Choice
chairman and director of the Lee Group Pty Ltd in 1986. The couple have two children, Cartier and Harrisson, and two stepsons, Anthony and Michael.

Career

In 1977 Craig-Lee established the eponymous fashion label, Keri Craig, and opened boutiques in Brisbane and

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, with her label becoming available throughout Australia and overseas. In 1984, she designed and coordinated

Sir Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

's Sydney wedding to

Renate Blauel Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

. With her husband, Keri established Australian Country Choice in 1995, one of Australia's largest meat supply chains, as well as Keri Lee Charters and Sutherland Aviation.

Awards

Craig-Lee's career saw her collecting more than 50 accolades for excellence in her endeavours. Among those were her induction into the RAQ Hall of Fame at the age of 28, following three RAQ 'supreme' awards in 1981, 1982 and 1986. She was also the first Queenslander to be nominated for the

FIA FIA is the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (English: International Automobile Federation), the world's governing body for all forms of motor sport where four or more wheels are used. Fia or FIA may also refer to: People * Fia Backst ...

Australian Fashion Award. In 2017, Craig-Lee was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her service to the clothing manufacturing sector, business and the community.

Publications

In 2017, Craig-Lee released her first book, ''Keri Craig: the label, the lady, the lifestyle'', a pictorial biography chronicling her career spanning almost 40 years and featuring contributions from politicians, personalities and photographers such as Richard De Chazal.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Craig-Lee, Keri 1958 births Living people Australian fashion designers Australian women fashion designers Australian women company founders Australian company founders Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia People educated at St Margaret's Anglican Girls' School