Tuesday, Feb. 07, 2012

Five Questions With Erin Fetherston

As Erin Fetherston celebrates the one-year anniversary of her contemporary collection, the California native tells TIME about her inspirations for the Fall/Winter season, the Oscar-nominated actress she'd like to dress next and what she loves most about New York City.

What inspired your new collection?
I was really inspired by imagery from nature, and I wanted to show the tension between elements that felt organic and elements that felt really electric. You'll see soft, ethereal fabrics like crinkled chiffon and really airy printed chiffons, as well as metallicized fabric and bright sequins.

What's your favorite piece?
I'm pretty excited about this marabou feathered jacket that we have, and I love the printed dresses of the collection. There's one I'm especially attracted to: the body of it is matte jersey and really slim fit, and then it has a cape-sleeve on it that's almost like a cocoon cape around the back. The cape part is in this metallic chiffon, and there's something about it that looks so modern and directional.

You've collaborated with Target and Juicy Couture. Are there any brands or celebrities that you'd like to work with next?
I share the universal adoration for Michelle Williams. I've always thought she was so cute, and I also think she's an ideal Erin girl because she's just charming, beautiful and sexy without being overtly so — she's always feminine. I think she's definitely the most exciting person to dress right now.

What other shows are you looking forward to seeing this season?
Calla Haynes. We were actually students together at Parsons in Paris, so we've known each other for a long, long time, and she's designed prints for me in the past. I'm so excited and proud of her — her stuff is so beautiful.

You're from California. What do you miss the most about the West Coast, and what's your favorite thing about New York?
I miss the weather the most about California, because I'm a total warm weather person. It's been better this year, but it's still hard. What I love about New York is the excitement, the activity and the glamour — there's always something to do and interesting people to meet.