The first time I stumbled upon Erica Tanov it was a cold snowy day in New York City. Both my mom and I were freezing and needed to get warmed up. As we entered the beautiful Elizabeth Street store we were in shock – what had we stumbled upon . . . a beautifully curated store that made our hearts pound a million miles a minute. Within minutes I had fallen in love.
As I traveled back to San Francisco I was determined to someday work for her and a little over four months later it happened. A new Erica Tanov opened on Fillmore, and gusto, I went in and said I could work anytime. Little did I know that I’d be entering into this magical world of stunning fabrics, gorgeous designed clothing that would become staples in my wardrobe and be part of a group of women that continue to inspire me to this day. Once you are an Erica Tanov girl you’ll be embraced for life. I can honestly say that without this experience I wouldn’t be the woman I am today – she opened my eyes to a creative world that helped me believe that I could work in a creative industry.
This workspace feature is very special. As you go through the photos you’ll see images of Erica’s workspace at home. She describes it as her oasis and where she can develop each of her collections. From the beautiful fabric swatches, to the treasures surrounding her, and the view outside being so natural with beauty – who wouldn’t get inspired by a place like this?
After all of these years of knowing Erica it was fun to sitting down with her for a little interview. I love the fact that she is working with local artists to create and inspire her future collections. The artwork you see on her work table that I photographed is by artists at Creative Growth in Oakland. Erica has selected a handful of these artists to work with and is creating cotton and silk prints with them for her spring 2013 clothing and homeware collections.
The launch of their collaboration is tonight – September 6th at the Marin Country Mart. there is an event to celebrate a gallery of artwork done by the artists at Creative Growth. Please join us if you are in the area.
Event / Opening Party: Thursday, September 6, 2012 6pm to 9pm Food by: Holly Perez for Culinary Things
The ‘pop-up’ gallery will be open for the entire month of September so stop by!
I hope you enjoyed this exclusive look into Erica’s workspace – if you want more inspiration head over to her tumblr. And of course, a huge thank you to Erica for allowing me to photograph her inspiring home.
Photos by Caitlin Flemming