The name Ayesha Ahmad might not be recognizable to people outside the fashion industry, but to a growing number of independent clothing, accessory, and home-decor designers, Ms. Ahmad is a guru.

At 33, the petite, glossy-haired Ms. Ahmad looks like a fragile ingenue. Beneath the delicate exterior, however, is a hard-boiled businesswoman on a mission – to support and promote emerging designers.

“I want to help designers breaking into the industry find outlets for their work, and to teach them the retail ropes, as well as offer them like-minded entrepreneurs to network with,” Ms. Ahmad said. Her interest in working with the creative community, and the impetus for Trunkt, the company she founded in 2004, stems from her early attempts at selling to retailers.

In 2002, Ms. Ahmed launched Samaan, a collection of bedclothes, table linens, and throw pillows made from Asian silks and cottons. “I realized how hard it was for a new designer to get the attention of buyers and how isolating the experience can be,” she said, then added, “I’m someone with an MBA and a lot of business experience.”

Even with her degree in finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business, followed by several years as a telecommunications analyst, Ms. Ahmad was stymied. So in 2003, she began taking retail courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she met others about to launch collections. Later that year, she gathered a group of classmates together and arranged a trunk show of their work in someone’s apartment.

“We sold a lot at the show, and that was great,” Ms. Ahmad said. “Working with the women was such a valuable experience. We learned from one another. That event gave me the idea for Trunkt.”

In September, Ms. Ahmad began Trunkt.com, an online sourcing venue for fashion industry buyers and consumers to discover new talent, while offering a launch pad for independent designers.

“There were sales sites out there for experienced designers, but no one set up a board just to promote industry newcomers. I was inundated with responses,” she said.

“The criteria for membership hasn’t changed from Day 1,” she added. “I want people who are interested in growing their businesses; people who will be active members of Trunkt. I’m not looking for hobbyists.” Membership is free and entitles a designer to post photos of their pieces, a statement about their work, and their contact information.

A few months after Trunkt.com’s launch, Ms. Ahmad, who runs the company’s day-to-day operations out of her Greenwich Village office, invited speakers active in the fashion industry to conduct seminars with titles such as “Creating Brand Recognition,” “How to Cost Your Product,” and “Marketing to Specialty Stores.”

On May 10, Ms. Ahmad launched Shoptrunkt.com on the Trunkt.com site. The feature functions as an online store, allowing consumers to purchase items directly through the site.

“We’re selective about who we include on Shoptrunkt,” said Ms. Ahmad. “We have a better idea now of who our customer is and what they’re looking for.”

A typical Trunkt consumer, according to Ms. Ahmad, “looks for the unexpected; something they don’t find in every boutique in the city. That’s one reason they love new designers,” Ms. Ahmad said.

Anyone searching for unique items should make a quick trip to the Trunkt store in TriBeCa (333 Greenwich St., 646-263-8795). The shop opened on March 7 as a temporary space to exhibit the work of 25 Trunkt members and will close on May 27.

“We wanted to go beyond the trunk show concept, with all its variables, and take a stab at retail,” Ms. Ahmad said.

In her makeshift space, formerly a parking garage, Ms. Ahmad has crafted an elegant showcase for her designers’ work. She has an eye for arresting displays, creating color-coordinated arrangements of jewelry and bags, T-shirts and sandals, and fine bath products paired with hand-appliqued lingerie. In case anyone should wander in and assume they’ve encountered a typical high-end boutique, Ms. Ahmad has painted the deep orange Trunkt logo and the company’s motto, “Discover independent design,” along one wall. Items in the shop retail for $7-$1,200, with Ms. Ahmad taking a small percentage of each sale.

“We cut out the middleman by creating our own retail experience,” Ms.Ahmad said. The shop was mobbed during the Tribeca Film Festival, and local mothers have stopped in to stock up on summer must-haves.

Trunkt’s designers are as enthusiastic as its customers. “When you do business with a standard retail shop, the experience can be hit or miss. You can’t always count on the retailer to tell you why your things sold or didn’t sell,” said Vondra Barnwell-Williams, who has been with the Trunkt organization since its inception, and was one of the designers asked to sell her collection in the TriBeCa store. The owner of Smitherman & Barnwell LLC, a collection of high-end special-occasion and flower-girl dresses, said she has been pleased with the outcome. “Here, we can work directly with the customers, so we get feedback first-hand,” she said. “The customers love chatting with us as much as we enjoy our conversations with them. My sales have been great, too.”

“The store has been incredibly successful. We have a list of items on backorder,” Ms. Ahmad said proudly. Buoyed by the positive response, she is searching for a permanent space for the Trunkt store.

Over Memorial Day weekend, Ms. Ahmad will publish the first Trunkt catalog with photos of designers’ items complete with pithy descriptions – “It’s Lucky meets J. Peterman,” she said. The publication will be distributed on the Hampton’s Jitney and in local inns, restaurants and beach spots.

While Ms. Ahmad misses the biweekly paycheck she earned as a business analyst, she is pleased with the direction her life has taken.

“It’s been an amazing year. I’ve learned from the designers, and their involvement with Trunkt has been a good education for them as well. Many of them have had such a good response from their inclusion on Trunkt that they’re forgoing the traditional avenues that can be a big headache – like joining showrooms and selling to big retailers. A community of designers learning from one another was my dream in the beginning, and seeing it realized is a joy.”

For more information about Trunkt, go to www.trunkt.com or visit the store by May 27 at 333 Greenwich St., 646-263-8795.