Putting Southern flavor in big city fashion

Meredith Carter

Illustration by Ashley Newsome

Picture it: A platinum mohawk. Designer jeans. Signature Marc Jacobs bag. Throw all these items together on a tallish former textiles student named Dale Eramo, add a snappy comment and that’s what makes him anything but typical.

Too hip for Raleigh, some might say. But Eramo is just one of several students that ventured to New York City this past summer to try on the big city experience. The only difference is he didn’t come back.

New York received a bit of Southern charm this summer from students seeking to open new doors and take their passion for fashion to the next level. Anyone in a fashion-related field understands New York is the place to be in order to have every possible opportunity.

Brooke Stephens, a senior in apparel management, interned with Ralph Lauren Childrenswear in its merchandising department. “I was able to help with the spring 2006 line and work directly with the designers,” she says. She also admits how much she loved New York because everything was at her fingertips. Stephens is planning to move to the city upon graduation in May.

Sarah Bolan, a junior in textile and apparel management, echoes Stephen’s appreciation for all that NYC has to offer. Bolan interned for Liz Claiborne in the sales department. “It’s fun to be in the heart of the fashion world and have the first-hand experience rather than just hearing it described by a teacher,” Bolan points out.

Similarly, other students were compelled to test the waters in the often turbulent world of New York fashion. Lindsay Parina, a junior in textile and apparel management, interned in the public relations department of Cynthia Steffe, a well-known designer.

Brittany Blair, a junior in textile and apparel management, took on the design department of the up-and-coming designer Peter Som.

Another blossoming designer, Tracy Reese, enjoyed the presence of Marion Dees, a senior in history, in their showroom. And Betsy Cottam, a junior in fashion production and development, interned with designer Leila Rose.

Parina recalls an exciting time spent helping plan for a fashion show. “From editing the guest list to helping plan each look that would go down the runway, and even helping choose the models -- every step of the development of the fashion show I enjoyed,” Parina says.

Dees shares Parina’s feeling of excitement about experiences unique to the New York fashion scene. “I helped stylists pick out clothes for some of Tracy Reese’s celebrity clients like Joss Stone and Oprah Winfrey,” Dees explains. She also took part in making wardrobe choices for Jaime Lynne Sigler to wear in a wedding scene in an upcoming episode of The Sopranos.

All of this talk of being key in what goes down the runway in glittering lights may sound glamorous. But these students can attest that being an unpaid intern in New York often falls short of its glitzy reputation.

Blair describes a seemingly typical day in the Peter Som showroom that took an unexpected twist when she was asked to personally deliver a sample to the offices of Vogue. Anyone with interest in fashion would picture getting ushered into a gorgeous building and sitting in a lavish lounge while awaiting assistance. Blair thought so as well.

“It sounded so glamorous to go drop off a sample at Vogue,” Blair recalls with a laugh. “But when I got there I realized I [was] not going to see anything more than the mail room. And then I realized I should try to dodge errands like that because it was not the least bit glamorous and it is way too hot in New York City in the summertime!”

Betsy Cottam also had similar instances which served as personal reminders that the design world is not simply swirls of silk and lace. Cottam was sent daily to the production sites for Leila Rose. “I was surprised to see tiny concrete rooms with about 50 people packed close together in unbearable heat,” Betsy says. “I was shocked when I realized that such beautiful and expensive garments come from such an unfavorable environment.”

And so the questions arise: What if one of these individuals were presented with a job offer he or she could not refuse? Sure just heading back to school and forgetting it ever happened seems logical. But leave the chance of a lifetime and always wonder “what if?” No way.

For Dale Eramo, walking away and always questioning his decision was a burden he could not stand to bear. One minute Eramo was a mere intern under Bryan Bradley of Tuleh, and now he works side by side with Bradley as his assistant designer.

When describing the steps he took to make his decision, his voice takes a serious note -- a rare change of tone for light-hearted Eramo. His mom was immediately supportive. His father, on the other hand, was not. “That night he wouldn’t even consider it. But the very next day he literally woke up and changed his mind,” Eramo explains.

Eramo was pleased to hear that his father recognized that he was undeniably talented and the chance was worth taking. School will not take a back seat, however; Eramo will continue to work towards his degree at Parsons School of Design in New York.

The fashion house of Tuleh has a very unorthodox reputation, and Eramo has definitely been swept up in its beautiful mess. He has become part of the team and is putting in extra hours in preparation for an upcoming show at New York Fashion Week on Sept. 11. With little room to stop and rest, Eramo will then hop on a plane to Paris to attend the Textile and Fabric Conference.

But after talking business, his voice rises, denoting the always-expected mouthful of gossip and wild stories. “Wynona Ryder was here the other day, just sitting at the table,” Eramo exclaims.

“No one in the office was aware that it was her until an intern was asked to run out and buy her Jello. I decided to go and introduce myself -- and I couldn’t help but ask her, ‘Why are you eating Jello?’” Eramo says, laughing. “It was the strangest thing. She told me she had burnt her throat and it was the only thing she could eat.”

“I ran up to Bryan as she was leaving to ask if we should check her bags!” he adds jokingly.

But he doesn’t let the antics of the office lead him astray. “I will ideally become a stylist,” Eramo says. “I want to put the looks together for the runway shows.”

Those who know Eramo fully believe in his talent and will to succeed. “Dale is going to fit right in to the New York life,” Stephens says. “He has such a great personality and an eye for fashion.”

If nothing else, Eramo’s personality will always carry him through. He has already conquered the social scene in New York and had quite a taste of the city. After all, when commenting on his dating, Eramo couldn’t help but joke that he feels as if he has already been through half of Manhattan.

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That's So New York