ERIIN is bringing Asia Pacific designers to the rest of the world

ERIIN.com actively promotes and seeks budding artists to introduce them to the international fashion scene.

Being a struggling fashion designer is hard. A lot of work goes into producing that single piece of garment. From conceptualizing a unique design, to sourcing for the perfect fabrics, to actual production, then photographing your artwork with the right model and getting distributors to put it on their store racks. You get the point.

You’ve spent a lot of time and money by the time you’re done, all you can do is hope and pray that someone hears about your designs and that you’re suddenly featured on Fashion Week. Okay, so I’m not sure if that’s how it happens, but unless there’s a local version of Project Runway in Singapore and the region, I’m sure it’s pretty rare that you hear about Singapore designers breaking into the international market and become successful, like local fashion label alldressedup.

Cue ERIIN.com, a Singapore-based e-commerce site that is bringing Asian Pacific designers to the rest of the world. The spirited duo behind ERIIN.com, Maisha Miranda and Kate Tan, started with a bang by organizing fashion show, Street Candy, with Lenovo Singapore. It was held just five months into ERIIN.com’s  launch, showcasing fresh new fashion design labels from the region.

Designs on ERIIN.com are curated by co-founders Kate Tan (middle) and Maisha Miranda (bottom).

E-commerce is a tough battle. I chatted with the ERIIN girls and find out how they’ve been doing.

What are your main markets — you mentioned Aussie, Europe and so on.

Right now, most of our customers come from Australia, New Zealand and Europe. We are very lucky to have had exposure in these regions, and we are hoping to take it to the next level over the course of the coming year.

How do you compete with other online retailers like Zalora, especially when they have more resources to do online advertising?

Our niche is completely different from other online retailers – ERIIN is known for our contemporary, quality aesthetic, which is something that cannot be replicated. Rather than targeting the mass market, we know who our clientele is — the international woman who believes in investing in herself. She is confident, highly individualistic, and not afraid to experiment. Our pieces are wearable and versatile, but are matched to evoke the image of “street style with a turbo boost”.

Additionally, we steer clear of traditional marketing, and we try our best not to partner up with the branded, overly popular mediums and bloggers. ERIIN picks influencers and ambassadors who are fresh, natural and have a strong sense of personality and style. We love collaborating with young talent, and have the freedom to try anything new, which is hard for larger corporations to follow suit.

Could you give us 3 tips to share about growing an audience online, how to do effective blogging and pitching to media?

Always be sincere and transparent when meeting with people, online or offline — we say it like it is, and we keep it real. People can tell when you’re down to earth, and it also makes all our meetings more fun and enjoyable. It’s hard to keep up a facade.