Fashion Designer Erin Barr

I am extremely excited to write this article because it’s about a beautiful girl whose dream came true.
The moment I met Erin I was taken by her sweetness and her beauty. Then as I started working with her, I noticed her skill with hair was very impressive. Erin could maneuver a razor through hair as if she had done it for a lifetime. She would always leave me in awe with her eye for style.

 

So when Erin followed her dream to be a designer, I was not surprised to learn that it would be a success.

1) Darling... I am so proud of you!! How does it feel to have been featured in WWD?
Hey darling! Thank you! It was such an Honor to have been in WWD, and it felt fantastic! It's one of those landmarks that you hope to see, and when you get there, it's amazing! They were so wonderful to chat with, too, and the feature was incredible.

 2) When did you decide that it was time to make the switch from hair to fashion? 

For me, now that I look back on it, I really think doing hair was a starting point for me in getting to where I am. Creatively, there are really a lot of similarities. You start with something that inspires you, moves you, and you end up with something 3-dimensionally stunning; a work of art. The transition to fashion came when I had the opportunity to go back to school in London at Central St. Martin's. I told myself, you have nothing to lose! So I went for it, and here I am! 

3) Are there any technical similarities between the two? 

 Oh absolutely.  Cutting hair is also about cutting from pattern, and even creating our own pattern through sectioning, line creation and texture. And the angles!! I feel that knowing these angles and how something will drape, or 'fall', as we say in hair, has been extremely beneficial.

 

4) So it sounds like being a hairstylist has helped your creativity as a fashion designer?

Absolutely. I feel like I can really envision an entire 'look' or 'mood' from head to toe. And its such a helpful tool to be able to communicate with the wonderful hairstylists working on our shoots. We will sit and chat about how amazing Antoinette Beenders is, or Orlando Pita, while styling the shoots, and just get really inspired.

 5) love your fall/winter collection!  What was your inspiration?Thank you! The inspiration came from the idea of this Angel; she has fallen back to the Earth, but is stuck in purgatory at the boardwalk. There is the feeling of dark and light, soft and hard, girl vs. tomboy...she's in limbo. This collection was a lot of fun. We played with new materials, such as lace, which I don't think people would expect from an ERIN BARR collection. But I think we rocked it! I like the idea of playing with the unexpected.

 6) I have seen you over the years express yourself through fashion. You definitely capture a flavor of your own in your designs. Do you agree? 

I agree. I would definitely say that I am my own customer, but I don't just create clothes only for me. A lot of women designers get called their own customer, 'designing for themselves', but I don't think it's only about that. I think it is because we live and breathe our art, maybe more sentimentally. But if you could wear and live in your art, wouldn't you, too? I think it's important to embody your vision, to feel what your customer feels. 

 

Take a look at the beautiful designs by Erin Barr.