Erin Fetherston

  • Erin Fetherston

  • Erin Fetherston is tall blonde and perfect! She is also a successful New York based designer who sells her feminine, floral, lovely, lacy, clothes world wide. I got to work with Erin last summer shooting her look book for her S/S 2013 collection which was a lot of fun working on with her…. She knows exactly what she wants but is also open to ideas which made for a great collaboration.

    Who is Erin Fetherston?
    I’m a dreamer. I use fashion design as a medium to translate my world of fantasy and imagination into a physical reality. I’m also an idealist. I want my dresses to bring people good luck and positive energy when they wear them!

    What did you want to be when you grew up?
    I had an artistic spirit ever since I was little. I wanted to be everything from a ballerina to an actress, a writer, and definitely a fashion designer!

    How did you get to be where you are?
    I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be in fashion. After a series of exploratory internships in college, I was sure that I wanted to be a designer. Once I graduated from UC Berkeley where I studied liberal arts, I moved to Paris to study fashion at the Parsons School of Design. After completing my studies, I started making clothes in my apartment. It shortly thereafter turned into my first collection, which I presented off-calendar during the Paris Haute Couture shows in January 2005. From there, I just kept making collections. Eight years later, I have a brand and my company is now based in New York. I produce ten collections a year and my line is carried in over 250 stores worldwide.

  • If you could go back in time and give your 16 year old self some advice what would it be?
    I also would have told myself to cherish my girlfriends! They are so important and have the potential to outlast most young loves.

    If the cupboard in your bedroom would lead you to another world what would your Narnia look like?
    Cherry trees would be permanently in blossom. Cuddly white animals (cats, dogs, lambs, bunnies, doves, etc) would roam free and talk! Everyone would be friends and there would be no judgement or prejudice to separate us from one another.

    By day you are a designer.. by night you are(any other projects you do)?
    Ballerina and spiritual philosopher.

    What was one of your favorite past projects?
    I always loved creating short films to showcase my collections. The medium of film is so powerful to communicate one’s creative universe, spirit, and vision and feels so much more lasting than a runway show. My favorites were ‘Wendybird’ and ‘Birds of a Fether’.

     

  • What are you working on now and what do you dream of happening in the future?
    Right now I am focused on building my business and expanding my line. In the future, I dream of having my own store where I can have my collection and curate other categories like home, beauty, etc with a lifestyle perspective.

    What song do you love that you keep secret cause its totes embarrassing to say publicly you like it?
    I can’t think of one, but I do have an undercover love of 90’s hip hop.

    Which version of “Love the way you lie” do you prefer Skylar Greys or Eminem + Rhianna?
    Eminem + Rihanna

    Are you a morning person or night person?
    Both! I oscillate between either scenarios.

     

  • Any advice for peeps just starting out?
    I think fashion might be one of the most challenging businesses in the world. It’s one thing to have a vision and make great clothes, it’s quite another to master the entire operation that goes into manufacturing, sales, distribution and marketing, let alone learning how to manage all of the people that are needed to make that happen! I would advise anyone looking to do their own line to get a lot of experience in another fashion company to learn the intricacies of the business and how to make it happen.

    What do you want to be when you grow up?
    An astrologist

    Is there a quote or mantra you live by?
    La vie en rose!