As wholesale manager, I have the opportunity to meet some really fun fashion designers. I grow a business and personal relationship with many and love to support their efforts! One of my (MANY) favorites is Erica Lurie, owner of Garnish Apparel.
Do
you have any signature pieces you make every season?
How
would you describe the type of woman that buys your clothes?
Erica has so graciously accepted the invitation to be featured on our blog. She just finished a new collection, entitled, "White Label Collection." This collection is quite different from her regular line of garments, but still oh so tempting! The best thing about her designs is that everything is Handmade in the USA! Along with a team of talented sewers, they sew the entire line in Portland, OR. The images scattered through this post are part of the White Label Collection. Enjoy and don't forget...support local and support indie design!


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| From the "White Label Collection" - Spring 2013 |
What
is behind your business name?
Garnish means to adorn or
decorate. One of the most immediate ways of expressing our personalities
is by our choices in how we adorn ourselves. So our dress has a powerful
ability to shape our opinions about ourselves as well as other people's
opinions about us. I like for my customers to feel that when they
"Garnish" themselves they put forth an image that makes them feel
good about who they are.
What
is a typical work day like?
There is no typical work day at
Garnish! That is what I love about it (and can at times be
frustrating!). When I arrive at work I can have an agenda and at the end
of the day, what I accomplished often looks nothing like what I set out to do.
But that keeps things interesting as I hate repetition.
What
made you want to be a designer?
I love working with my hands and creating
things three-dimensionally. And I LOVE fabric! I find the challenge
of fitting fabric to the body in just the way I want to be exhilarating.
Did
you go to school for fashion? Where?
I was a Sculpture major and clothing
and textiles minor at Montana State University in Bozeman. Most of my
sculptures were clothing in some medium... often metal.
What
do you use for inspiration?
I find most of my inspiration from my
fabrics. I buy fabrics that I love and that work together and then from
there decide if the fabric is most appropriate for a dress, a top, a bottom,
etc. I think I must find inspiration sub-consciously from nature as I
love the outdoors and use it to rejuvenate me.
Who
is your favorite designer?
Oh, that's tough. I'm going to go with
Carolina Herrera.
Before
you established your own line, did you work in the fashion field? Where?
Yes, I
worked at Adidas. My boss gave me a 3 month leave of absence to work on
my line... pretty amazing!
What
is the best thing about being a designer? The hardest thing?
I love being able
to come to work and be creative! I also love working for myself but that
can also be the hardest thing... ultimately it all falls on your
shoulders.
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| Nadira Dress - Designs from Past Seasons - Fabric is from Fabric Mart (No longer available) |
We have made our
Amanda Dresses for many seasons and it's a great all around dress. But we
are feeling like we need to take a little break from it and re-introduce it
down the road a bit.
What
is your favorite fabric type?
I can't answer that, I'd be excluding too many
wonderful fabrics! But I do love printed silks- they suck me in every
time!
What
colors do you gravitate to?
I try to really vary my palette because
different colors work on different people and all colors are so
beautiful. Right now I'm pining for the deep, deep indigo that is
popular, especially in Europe.

 |
| From the "White Label Collection" - Spring 2013 |
Where
do you go when you need to get away from it all?
Into the woods...
What
is your favorite food?
All of them. OK, if I must choose one I'd
say lobster (sorry little guys).
Any
advice for aspiring designers?
Be ready to work your butt off if you want
to get anywhere in this industry. But it is so worth it.
What
is one fashion trend you love? Hate?
I'm loving the bold colors this
season. There are usually some trends that I hate, but this season I like
most of them.
 |
| From the "White Label Collection" - Spring 2013 |
Independent,
confident (but not always when it comes to dressing themselves), often creative
in some sense, knows what she wants from her life and goes out and gets it!
Are you are designer looking for larger quantities? The wholesale division of Fabric Mart may be the answer! Contact julie@fabricmartfabrics.com if you are interested in learning more.
Become a Fabric Mart Fabricista!
Are you a designer or just love to sew for yourself? If you've used a Fabric Mart fabric, we would love to feature you on our blog! Its a great way to show other customers what they can do with a fabric. For more information, contact fabricmartblog@gmail.com.
Are you are designer looking for larger quantities? The wholesale division of Fabric Mart may be the answer! Contact julie@fabricmartfabrics.com if you are interested in learning more.
Become a Fabric Mart Fabricista!
Are you a designer or just love to sew for yourself? If you've used a Fabric Mart fabric, we would love to feature you on our blog! Its a great way to show other customers what they can do with a fabric. For more information, contact fabricmartblog@gmail.com.
~Julie
Love the light-weight fabric which feels very cool and dries quickly. The style is very basic. Looks good, just nothing to get excited about.
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