Two NYC designers are on a mission to create smart inspirational fashion that motivates young girls to look at the world around them and "do something good".
The designers are Erin Darby and Ana Maria Henao. They come from two very different backgrounds professionally however they share the same passion for fashion, determination to succeed, and drive to make a difference in the lives of young women everywhere.
Erin Darby graduated from St Francis College in Brooklyn NY with a BA in Psychology. Her first Job out of college was teaching second grade in East NY Brooklyn. She went on to work for a non-profit for two years in their IT department before returning back to school for acting. She attended the prestigious William Esper Studio in NYC for 2 years where Bill Esper himself was her teacher. After finishing the program she went on to audition for acting jobs, began to write a screen play and started to teach herself the cut, sew, dye and screen print business. She started a tee-shirt line in 2004 that sold in boutiques nationwide. She believes her real accomplishment in design started when she partnered up with Ana Maria Henao in late 2006. The designs became much more fashion forward. The "design duo" as they are often referred to have something very special. They work off each other really well and their designs reflect that.
Ana Maria Henao attended the London School of Fashion. She knew from a very early age fashion would be her life. Ana would perform "makeovers" for the girls that were picked on in school. She has worked in the corporate side of fashion for more than 10 years. Working for designers such as Leslie Fay, and Wayne Rogers as well as being the head designer for a tween fashion line that was picked up by all major department stores in its first season. Ana is a fantastic designer. She follows the trends, collects the information and introduces the new styles in the line. Get ready to be blown away for Fall 08's limited edition.
There is never a dull moment in the lives of Erin and Ana. No workday is ever the same. They go to meetings in the fashion district with billionaires, millionaires, showroom reps, and friends. They spend a lot of time in their Brooklyn studio/boutique where they design their lines, write their press releases and send out all online orders and packages. They attend parties and work with many charities. They even auction off their services to make custom couture dresses to help raise money for causes. They are motivational speakers and partner to the non-profit organization Girls Take Charge and sit on the advisory board of Girls Write Now.
We are blogging about what is exactly involved in being a designer, entrepreneur, best friend, sister and activist. Hopefully along the way we will inspire young girls to create, design and bring change to their communities.
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