Artist Bio

Erinn is an Alameda-based fashion designer. Her designs are inspired by her love of art history and antique and contemporary textiles. Her design philosophy is heavily grounded in the premise of refashioning (sometimes referred to as up-cycling) incorporating remnants from design houses, pieces of vintage textiles, and antique laces and trim into her designs to give these elements new life instead of sending them to the landfill. Erinn draws inspiration from historical sources, employing careful consideration of texture, attention to stitching and construction details, layering, and transparency to transform how the wearer feels.

About Me

I am an artist and designer with a true passion for color. Although I began as a graphic designer and illustrator and still work in the field of graphic design, I have been spending more and more of my free time pursuing my interest in fashion. Until recently, I was entirely self-taught as a fashion designer, having only had one semester of sewing in middle school. When I wanted to learn to make something, I just did a ton of research and testing.

Recently, I began attending Apparel Arts, in Oakland, to better understand the process of pattern making and drafting. It’s been a complex but thrilling experience and I am enjoying every minute of it.

I love the tangibility of working with fabric—each garment has it’s own personality through use of texture, stitching, layering and transparency. But it doesn’t end there. The real truth is that fashion can transform how you feel about yourself. The same garment will look entirely different on each individual who wears it. And there is nothing like slipping into something that has been tailor-made to your measurements and preferences.

I also love the idea of taking something old and making it anew. Many of the garments and accessories I make are upcycled (or as I prefer to say, refashioned) from previously worn garments and fabrics. Grandpa’s old suit, an hand-me-down dress, or a scrap of leftover material. I like the sentiment of giving garments and fabrics a new life. And it’s a good use of clothes that may otherwise head straight into a landfill. Torn, worn through? No worries, I’ll re-make it into something completely wearable!

SaveSave