People Watching EDITOR: ANDREW BEVAN
DESIGNING WOMAN
FUTURE’S SO BRIGHT “I’M NOT GOING TO PUT IN THE EFFORT IF I’M NOT GOING TO GO ALL THE WAY,” SAYS ERIN, IN PANTS SHE DESIGNED, OF HER CREATIVE DRIVE.
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With fierce flair and a careful eye for detail, MassArt student Erin Robertson takes this year’s CFDA/Teen Vogue Scholarship prize.
HER PORTFOLIO
FOR THE WIN ABOVE AND BELOW: PART OF ERIN’S SUBMISSION. RIGHT: A FRIEND IN ONE OF HER LOOKS.
sunglasses to shoes—that landed Erin this year’s $25,000 CFDA/Teen Vogue Scholarship in partnership with Target. Inspired by the works of Proenza Schouler and Carven, Erin describes her own creations as humorous, happy, and energetic. “I recently made these pants with plant stems on them, a play on the catcall ‘Look at the stems on that girl!’” Despite her silly side, Erin envisions her clothes on a woman who’s strong and independent, much like herself. But there’s still room in this up-and-comer’s life for a little starstruck humility: At the CFDA Fashion Awards ceremony in New York City in June, Erin was in awe. “It hit me that I was part of everything,” she says. “I was there because I was invited and won something. I’m not waiting in the wings anymore.” —MADDY GAIMAN
96 SEPTEMBER 2013
Clockwise from top left: ALIPIO HERNANDEZ; courtesy of Erin Robertson (2); ALIPIO HERNANDEZ; courtesy of Erin Robertson.
love a woman who’s creative and passionate about whatever she’s doing. Passion is what keeps us moving,” says Massachusetts College of Art and Design junior Erin Robertson. After working as a dental assistant at Harvard School of Dental Medicine for five years, she took her own advice and pursued her true calling: fashion. Erin credits her upbringing in the small town of Provo, Utah, for her love of design, which sprouted from the lack of fashion around her and the desire to create what she couldn’t find. “I took sewing classes in high school,” says the self-proclaimed black sheep. “I thought, I’ll just make what I can. The first thing was a tube skirt with two layers of tulle overlapped with lace—it kind of looked like a big egg yolk!” The rising star has come a long way since then, paying for art school herself so she could hone her skills, evolve her style, and put her vision to work through her designs. It’s exactly that vision—a unique and meticulous take on everything from dresses to