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 BY TIFFANY HALL |  | | | | | Ab Fab | | | | | | | All's Ferrin love and fashion? Absolutely. Amongst the bevy of burgeoning design enterprises, one Texas talent stands illuminated against a backdrop of lackluster offerings. The spotlight shines on designer Abi Ferrin now more than ever as the mind behind Fashion with Freedom and Purpose continues to expand her fabulous brand. With freedom and purpose as the cornerstone of her design concept, Ferrin has worked to empower and employ afflicted women from across the globe and has built quite a business with that substantial mantra.
Just how precisely has the marketing maven found the perfect marriage of designing and do-gooding? "The underlying premise is persistence beyond what seems reasonable," says Ferrin, who incorporates buttons hand crafted by the women of Nepal into her designs. "I have definitely not taken no for an answer, and have had a ton of support from the Dallas community. That's made a huge difference." Originally from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Ferrin moved to Dallas from Los Angeles in 2006 and engaged in a good year of struggle before what she considers her turning point: the big win. | | | | | | | | | | In 2007, Ferrin was named Texas’ Next Top Designer by the Dallas Fashion Incubator and Stanley Korshak, securing pristine perks in the form of a $25,000 prize package including a business grant for expanding her company and a loft with storefront space in South Dallas. | | | | | | |  | | The unfolding of Ferrin's glorious story has been an account of onwards and upwards, and the brand's expansion ensues, regardless of what some might consider a current state of affairs that is, perhaps, less than exquisite. For Ferrin, it's a forward-looking philosophy that propels her efforts. "You can always pull from the past, but I love to see where women are going, where our world is evolving to, and what the needs are in today's marketplace. In terms of the overall playing field for the fashion industry, I think it raises everyone to a higher standard of excellence, which is a good thing. It's causing people to have to focus more time on design and development and production standards and making sure that the consumer is getting what they pay for."
Fashion with freedom and prosperity, perhaps? Decidedly. Ferrin's easy, bohemian-inspired pieces have routinely flown out of exclusive area boutiques, as the line is not carried in department stores. For those shoppers that have tightened up a bit yet still seek gorgeous garments, this maven hits the sartorial mark. "Consumers that were looking for name brand luxury goods are now looking for an alternative, but they still want quality," says the designer. | | | | | | | | Cultivating a dedicated following has been a cinch for Ferrin, as her pieces combine easily for mix-and-match sensibility and are perfect for travel and leisure. Her signature top, the Nikki, is designed to be worn five to eight distinctive ways, and its popularity has inspired her to design a whole series of these pieces. “They’re very travel-friendly; you can throw them in your suitcase and pull them right out. It helps to have something you can wear several different ways on your vacation. Those are the pieces that have really set me apart and that we’re doing really well with right now.” | | | | | | | Truly it is fashion with freedom and purpose, and the focus, for Ferrin, has always been on providing a versatile, valuable product that also embodies the nature of her lifestyle. "I'm definitely inspired by that sort of bohemian- chic sensibility that's about comfort and style at the same time." The art of Erte also serves as inspiration, as does life all around. "I do find myself looking a lot to the seventies and eighties; I love the free-spirited nature, the bright colors, and all that was represented in those time periods. Ultimately," says the designer, "I am inspired by the people in my life; the women in my studio, the women that I meet in the boutiques where I make appearances, my friends, women on the street…I'm constantly observing women and trying to make interpretations based on all of these basic principles, so I'm developing my source of inspiration more and more every day."
Having finished her fall collection, Ferrin's current efforts are centered on spring 2010. With plans to show in New York this September at Style 360, the alternative Fashion Week destination for up and coming design talent, it's a terrific trajectory for the designer as she dedicates this collection to Women of Purpose. "It's an homage, primarily to the women of Texas; to all the women who have supported my brand, and I will be unveiling that in conjunction with New York Fashion Week." Fabulous. | | | | | | | | | | |
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