Meet Erin Robertson: Fashion Scientist and Mask Maker

Plus, shop the brand new design available exclusively at SOS Prudential Center.

You may know Erin Robertson as the winner of Project Runway, Season 15. But did you know she started her career as a dental assistant when she moved to Boston from Utah? Growing up with divorced parents and moving to the iconic city of Boston at the young age of 18, it took Erin quite some time to realize she can build a career following her passion in designing fashion. But once she did, she’s become a force to be reckoned with and this is just the beginning. Read on to learn more about Erin, how she got to where she is today, and get a sneak peek of a brand new design she created exclusively for SOS. You can shop it at our machine in the Prudential Center on 4/29!

SOS: Tell us a little bit about your story and how you go to where you are today.

Erin: “Wow, that’s a little bit of a loaded question and not a quick and easy road to talk about. Growing up in a small town near Provo Utah, I grew up with the understanding that women were meant to be housewives and weren’t treated seriously– so college was never on my radar. Growing up I would always make my own clothes, I even made my own prom dress. A monumental change was when I was 18 my dad helped me get out of Utah and I took a job as a dental assistant. After 5 years of working at Harvard Dental School I couldn't suppress my creativity any longer so I applied to MassArt and got in! The rest is pretty much history.”

SOS: Tell us about your experience on Project Runway.

Erin: For so long, people were telling me to go on the show but I had never even watched it before. What really made me take the plunge was, I was at a party in Mykonos, dressed as Baywatch. This woman picked me out of a crowd and stopped me, she was a TV producer, and told me I really need to consider going on television. She thought I had the perfect personality for it. I went home from that trip and applied for Project Runway. Winning was never really a goal of mine, but I knew Instagram was getting big and I had to grow my following. I found out I won the day before I graduated from school. The people were incredible, I learned so much and really challenged myself. The past few years, I’ve struggled to accept that I am a businesswoman, I really need to be more comfortable owning that.

SOS: What is your favorite thing about fashion?

Erin: The best thing about fashion is that it’s an extension of who you are as a person, you can adorn your body in ways that you want to talk about yourself. It’s really a communication tool that can work for you or against you and you can wear something different anywhere you go that says something different about yourself. You can write a good sentence with your fashion choices that says a lot about who you are. 

SOS: Who and what motivates you?

Erin: Something that motivates me is moving women forward and giving women confidence and the permission to wear what they want because I inspire them with my choices. For so long, we felt like we as women couldn’t wear certain things for whatever reason, it’s not appropriate or I’ll be judged or not taken seriously, let’s throw all of those rules out the window moving forward. Let’s rewrite history.

SOS: What products can’t you live without on-the-go?

Erin: That’s an easy one. Drybar Detox Dry Shampoo. Living in New England, dry shampoo is a must. That’s one thing I miss about Utah, the dry air that made my hair look good.

SOS: Share with us a little about the inspiration behind the exclusive mask you designed for us.

Erin: I’m a big fan of gradients and fluidity and these colors just make you feel so bright, happy and overall good. Plus, they’re perfect for summer.

SOS: What would you tell someone trying to pursue their career in fashion?

Erin: It’s definitely not specific to fashion only. With the world opening up, there are so many people doing things. No matter what career you’re in, be authentic and stay true to yourself. I remind myself constantly of this, design and make things for me and not for what people want me to be or do. There’s a time and place to ask your audience, we are trained to want people to like us but not everyone needs to. Be yourself, follow your heart and you are guaranteed to succeed.