Designer Erin Fetherston Shops High and Low

By Robert Cordero
December 30, 2009

Erin Fetherston’s infectiously girly and fanciful aesthetic is as covetable as an ice cream in a cone on a hot summer’s day. But unlike that delectable dessert, the product isn’t as widely distributed or, due to its designer level prices (traditionally approaching $1,000 or more per piece at retail), as whimsically bought. Despite the exclusivity and expensiveness of her designer clothes, Fetherston nevertheless wants women to take part in her label's fairytale world. “I don’t have an elitist attitude about my own fashion design,” she claims, and her professional track record affirms as much.

In 2007, the California-born, New York-based designer participated in a high-low collaboration with mass market retailer, Target. “Target's attitude was that good design can be available to every market...[mass retailers] have become so sophisticated. They are proving that its possible to make good design available at every price point,” explains Fetherston. She takes pride in the fact that, in the weeks immediately after the collection hit stores, not a day went by that she didn't see her pieces being worn by people on the street.

Like Target, QVC, the popular home (and internet) shopping medium, has been inviting designers such as Isaac Mizrahi and stylist extraordinaire Rachel Zoe to design exclusive collections. Fetherston's collection for QVC, called Edition by Erin Fetherston, launched in September, 2009 and has already been on air three times, each time marked by surging demand and huge sell-outs. “They are really trying to participate in making high fashion available to a larger population. It’s great because anyone can tap in to QVC if they have a computer or television. It has an incredible reach,” says Fetherston “It's important to make chic and well-designed clothes available.”

Fetherston was also somewhat of a pioneer in combining film with fashion, even before the joined mediums were used by labels like Marc Bower and Halston (who presented their spring/summer '09 and fall/winter '09 collections on video, respectively), as cost-effective ways to present a line in a difficult market. Ellen von Unworth directed her earlier videos, which featured such stars as Kirsten Dunst (in "Wendybird" for fall/winter '05) and Zooey Deschanel (in "Dreamy Wander" for fall/winter '08).

But for fall/winter ‘09, Fetherston herself starred in a video with Paz De la Huerta called "Birds of a Feather," which highlighted her collection and ran on online retailer Shopbop and fashion site Style.com. The story, The story, loosely inspired by the tale of the pied piper, shows Fetherston uncovering a magical trumpet which has washed ashore beneath the Brooklyn bridge. Under the power of the trumpet's enchantment, the designer takes to the streets of New York City and begins to collect a following of characters who emerge from the stoops and windows of the city's apartments, restaurants and alley-ways and are are drawn to the magic. Fetherston and her collective, all dressed in the designer's collection, carry on in a near manic and highly visual procession through the streets of the West Village and Tribeca. While the film certainly put Fetherston's flirty fashion in context, the medium’s powerful viral marketing capability also earned the designer a wider audience.

For her own line, Fetherston is opening up price points to add more depth. Going forward, 70 percent of her pieces will be priced below $1,000. “We are trying to add more at the lower price point range,” she explains. “I’m interested in allowing people to experience the Erin Fetherston world in as many ways as they can."

As any shopper without a limitless budget knows, designer pieces can appropriately—and stylishly—be paired with less expensive items. These mix-and-match tactics create individualized looks that reflect the wearer's personal style (how boring to wear one designer from head-to-toe!) and make the occasional designer piece an acceptable fashion splurge for many more people. In this spirit of accessibility, Fetherston gave us five ways she integrates her signature pieces with a variety of looks.

Look 1: “My go-to handbags are always Vintage Chanel, and eBay is such a great place to find rare styles. They are always the perfect accessory to a pair of jeans and a simple top.” Erin Fetherston Back Puff Sleeve Top (approximately $696); Seven Skinny Jeans (starting bid, $99.95); Vintage Chanel Bag (buy it now price, $699)

Look 2: “eBay is a great place to find inexpensive and unique accessories. These tights are the perfect addition to an Erin Fetherston look.” Erin Fetherston Ivory Lattice Dress (approximately $1152) and Lambskin Jacket (approximately $1,695); Heart Print Tights (buy it now price, $6.98)

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Heart Print Tights

(buy it now price, $6.98)

Designer Erin Fetherston Shops High and Low

Look 3: “I absolutely love vintage sunglasses. They are such a fun thing to pair with a shift dress and flats for an easy day look.” Erin Fetherston Black Shift Dress (approximately $696.50), Heart Shaped Glasses (buy now price, $6.95), Lanvin Flats (buy it now price, $399)

Heart Shaped Glasses

(buy now price, $6.95)

Lanvin flats

(buy it now price, $399.99)

Look 4: “My cape has become my go-to coat this winter. All you need is a great pair of boots, and you're ready to take on the chill of winter in the city." Erin Fetherston Black Suiting Wool Cape (approximately $906.50), Pure White Arctic Fox Fur Winter Hat (buy it now price, $115.) Black Chloe Boots (buy it now price, $999.99)

Pure White Arctic Fox Fur Winter Hat

(buy it now price, $115.)

Look 5: “My personal style really is a mix of vintage pieces with clothes from my own collection, so I love the idea of wearing a vintage YSL blouse underneath my tuxedo jumpsuit. The heart necklace is just a really sweet way to top off the look.” Erin Fetherston Black Tuxedo Jumpsuit (approximately $626.50),Pierced Wooden Heart Necklace (buy it now price, approximately $10), Vintage Yves Saint Laurent Top (buy it now price, $225)