Designer Profile: Erickson Beamon
When most people think “high fashion,” they’re usually not thinking “Detroit.”
Don’t get me wrong; I don’t think it’s all bad. Detroit is home to the auto industry (hey, I drive one of those!), Motown (I love The Supremes), and the Pistons (my favorite team to boo when they play the Lakers). It’s just that Detroit isn’t the fashion capital of any place but… well… Michigan.
But first impressions can be deceiving.
In 1983, Karen Erickson, Eric Erickson, and Vicki Beamon were working with a designer for a runway show when they discovered themselves in desperate need of jewelry. Thinking fast, they threaded crystal and beads on suede and hurried their models down the runway. And so Erickson Beamon was born. They were an instant hit and they haven’t looked back since.
Since that first runway show, they’ve made custom pieces for designers from Anna Sui to Zac Posen. They remain the preferred go-to custom jeweler for many of the top design houses.
Erickson Beamon may have started with a few simple necklaces, but their empire has grown to include all other kinds of jewelry and even, in 2004, chandeliers.
Erickson Beamon Boudica Stone Necklace, $865 at net-a-porter.com.
But necklaces continue to be my sentimental favorite at Erickson Beamon. My latest love affair is the torrid fling I’m having in my dreams with this über-sexy stone piece. There’s nothing subtle about this come-hither necklace.
And I love that Erickson Beamon hasn’t forgotten the little people despite their meteoric rise to fame. On February 15, 2009, they launched a diffusion line at Target — forget about the power; FASHION TO THE PEOPLE!!!
Look out, New York: Detroit is trying to give you a run for your money.
Standing Corrected,
Olivia
