Meet the New: Designer Katie Ermilio
There’s a common intro-paragraph equation writers use when profiling an individual: Who (subject) What (is she drinking) Where (restaurant) or Wear-ing (her clothes) Why (which follows some sort of body language) = intro. It’s been parodied and tends to look something like, “Jessica takes a sip of her almond milk matcha no-foam latte at The Ivy and sighs heavily. She’s exhausted from weeks of touring…”
You get the picture.
But with Katie Ermilio, a CFDA Incubator designer known for her formal wear, it’s important that you know this interview took place over pizza. She wore baggy jeans, and in between bites of her cheese-covered flatbread, she laughed. Shrugged. Sneezed once. She acted totally “normal,” because the woman behind the very elegant, put-together line that exudes old world glamour is exactly the reason her label feels accessible despite its being comprised of pieces one reserves for the most special of occasions. Katie Ermilio is real. And in this climate of fashion versus red carpet versus personal style, authenticity is what separates you from the pack.
“When I first started designing,” she said, “I was doing so for private clientele. I think that’s why my collections, for better or worse, are so specific. It helped me develop my brand identity and voice. Now, it’s about taking the brand as a ready-to-wear label and pushing it forward.”
Her recent collection is decidedly sportier in comparison to past seasons. She’s beginning to play with knits and pants and tops — pieces that can be mixed into one’s closet — rather than focusing on dresses alone. “One of my favorite things is when I see someone wearing something of mine, but styled in a way I’d never expect, like with a denim jacket from the Gap. That’s inspiring, and it’s what keeps me going. As a designer, you want women to buy your clothes and incorporate it into their own wardrobes. It makes you think during the creative process, ‘How is she going to live in this every day?'”
What’s special about Katie Ermilio’s designs, however, is that they aren’t meant for the every day. Her clothes have the ability transport the wearer. They’re romantic without the sting of nostalgia.
Modern society puts a premium on casual; relationships, communication and the way we dress have all lost some level of formality. When asked if she feels pressure to shift her design aesthetic to match this trend, Ermilio responded: “Designing is like dating. At the end of the day, you ultimately cannot be anything but yourself. Even if I wanted to be an Alexander Wang, I couldn’t. It’s not what I do best. What I do best is what comes to me organically: designing ladylike clothes with a twist.”
The “twist” may well be the paradox of her line: ladylike clothes, as she said, in an industry of denim and distressed leather. Evening wear in a world where we’re more worried about looking overdressed than under. But her designs, while fancy, are unfussy. There’s nothing too precious about Katie’s pale pinks or back bows. Perhaps the twist is Katie herself — she’s seen more frequently in a Patagonia zip-up than she is in a satin ball skirt.
“People will extract an idea of who you are based on what you look like, what your regular clothes look like. And as a designer, there’s always going to be people around you pushing you in a certain direction, or encouraging you to play up certain angles. So I kind of just…am who I am. My priority is to make beautiful clothes that women want to buy while being true to my original vision.”
And with that, Katie Ermilio took a bite of her pizza.
