Designer Chelsea Erhart takes her street style on the road
January 26, 2010 by karenvitt
Filed under Neat STUFF
Portland-based streetwear designer Chelsea Erhart don’t stop. The petitite powerhouse behind successful local label Erhart Streetwear is taking her cool collections on the road next month, and putting yet another Portland push-pin on the global street style map.
First, Erhart’s Spray Paint Collection (above) will be featured at independent fashion’s big, biannual Pool Trade Show, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Nevada from Tuesday, Feb. 16 through Thursday, Feb. 18. Erhart will shop her graffiti-inspired collection to indie boutiques and international retailers, along with a number of other Portland designers. Local jewelry and accessories designers representing PDX at the show include Owlita (creator of those wild feather earrings we’re always yammering about), Paper Wings, AK Vintage, Sword+Fern and Stone & Honey.
Next, Erhart will continue on to Telluride, Colo., where she’ll show her Vinyl Varsity Collection (right) on the runway at the AIDS Benefit gala on Monday, Feb 22. Erhart won a travel grant to participate in the show, and she designed a collection especially for the event – a line that reflects how she’s been personally affected by AIDS and HIV, and that also stays true to the essence of her streetwear style.
Erhart’s uncle Charles is a long-time AIDS survivor, so Erhart chose to honor him by designing a line of crewneck and hooded sweatshirts reminiscent of Uncle Chuck’s old collegiate sweaters and football uniforms. She used old-school felting techniques to appliqué the sweatshirts with vinyl instead of modern screen-printing methods. The originals from the collection will be shown on the runway at the AIDS Benefit, then auctioned off to the community with proceeds to benefit AIDS education.
“I’m excited to have a collection that has a serious theme to it,” Erhart said. “I’m not one to push political agendas, but this is an issue that touches the family and the heart.”
Erhart (pictured below) says Portland also inspires much of her work. She’s lived here since 2002, after living with her mother for a time in Germany. Prior to that, she grew up living all over the world thanks to her Navy dad.
“I haven’t really wanted to move from Portland now that I’ve set down some roots,” Erhart said. “Portland certainly inspires my work. The Spray Paint collection is inspired, designed and hand-painted by a grafitti friend of Portland. I live, literally, in the center of the city –above the Burnside skate park where all the construction is happening. I feel the city growing and moving under my feet like naturalists feel the forest. I guess you could say that Portland is my home. It’s where everyone knows my name, and this stability allows me the mindset needed to create.”
Find her creations online at Erhart Streetwear or in local Portland shops, including Breeze Block Gallery, Moxie, Adorn and Phlox.
Erhart Streetwear
www.erhartstreetwear.com
