It’s day 4 of my ‘Inspiring and Successful Women’ series and today it’s all about Fashion Designer Erin Kleinberg. Not only does Kleinberg have a clothing line that recently relaunched and has been inspired by her search for the perfect everyday comfortably luxurious pieces (which I, personally, LOVE), it’s also one that celebs have taken a liking (loving) to. As well, she is the Co-Founder of the extremely well known fashion site, The Coveteur. This fabulous woman has seen a lot, done a lot, and achieved a lot. Lets get into our interview!
Did you always know you wanted to be a fashion designer?
I always knew I wanted to work in fashion…when I was a little girl I would wear all these weird outfits and my mom would be like what are you wearing? And then a couple months later we would see it in Flare and all the big publications. I always knew I loved fashion, I just didn’t know I could make it a lifelong career. In Grade 11 I met a wonderful editor at Canadian Living and she sat down with me and taught me what it meant to be an editor. I just couldn’t believe that I could be an editor as an actual job. To play with fashion all day was like an absolute dream come true to me!
How would you describe your line?
My line is all about comfort meets luxe. This brand is about modern key pieces and transitional fabrications – seen through my eyes, and my life. I’m all about that #thatEKlife ya know!?
With the re-launch of EK, my girls will see the same rad casual gear, but now with a more sophisticated take on fabrications and silhouettes. For spring, there is a Colour palette of grounded neutrals, popped with hyper-brights against my signature heather grey – it has both a vintage familiarity and a kick to it.
Fall/Winter Collection
Before you started your own clothing line and before The Coveteur, what other positions did you hold?
I first started out working as a fashion/editorial intern at Fashion magazine and then went on to work at the Weekly Scoop magazine. After that I went off to New York and insisted that I be the assistant to the very powerful Alex White at W Magazine. After moving home because I’m Canadian and couldn’t get a visa, I worked as a personal shopper at Holt Renfrew for about a year which was when they fell in love with my scarf tops (the first design I ever created). It was really amazing being able to see first hand what the clients liked and disliked about my designs.
What is your typical day like?
To be honest a typical day does not really exist at EK. It tends to be a whole lot of answering emails. My team and I are constantly responding to celebrity pulls, collaborations, factory requests, marketing, production, and PR. We definitely wear many hats in this biz.
Fall/Winter Collection
What is the most challenging thing about your job?
The most challenging thing about this job is being a manager at age 28. Running all of the different aspects of the company is so crazy and overwhelming a lot of the time, but it is also something that is very rewarding at the end of the day. Its really difficult to focus on everything from production to designing to Marketing to PR. Its basically like having 10 jobs at once.
What is the most rewarding thing about your job?
When someone tells me how comfortable my gear makes them feel, that is something that really resonates with me. I love making women feel good about themselves! Another thing is being able to work with my team and watching everyone grow together. Seeing my team learn and seeing the business grow right before my eyes is such a crazy thing to witness.
What is your advice for someone who wants to break into the field of fashion design?
You must eat sleep breathe and live your brand. Know your brand and why it will be successful. Don’t stray from your main goal, and don’t try and alter it to be like others. Work hard and be nice to people. What comes around goes around. I know, these sound like a bunch of lame Instagram slogans, but we really do work according to these mottos.
Fall/Winter Collection
Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
Right now Instagram is a massive source of inspiration. People always ask me, why do you follow over 1000 people… and it is because it culminates what is happening with tastemakers and brands all over the world in one spot through visuals. Exactly what I need. I am clearly inspired by street style. That’s why I started The Coveteur! I was dying to see what else editors had in their closets aside from what they were shot in on that day. I love seeing how people put things together, what they think is chic. I take my Samsung everywhere, and take as many pics as I can. Another inspiration for me is just the people around me. I am totally inspired by the everyday girl on the street who just looks super comfy and confident!
And, of course, I have to ask who are your 3 favorite people to follow on Twitter/Instagram?
- Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) on Twitter
- Texts from your ex (@textsfromyourex) on Instagram
- DylanLex (@dylanlex) on Instagram
Thanks Erin!
See more from the Fall/Winter collection (and others) HERE.