Barrington native learns the design ropes at J. Crew
SAIC Fashion Design Senior Erin Pianetto of Barrington walks the runway after her collection garnered her a year’s paid internship at J. Crew. Pianetto won the award after shwoing at the School of the Art Institute’s annual student fashion show at Millennium Park. | Tom Cruze~Sun-Times
By Meg Moore
Who waits 45 minutes for a reporter refuses to use a map of New York City?
Barrington native Erin Pianetto does.
The recent School of the Art Institute fashion design grad and current J. Crew design intern met me at a Thai restaurant around the corner from her office.
Her office just happens to be in Astor Place, not in the Garment District as I had it in my head. Not based on relevant information, mind you, but it made sense at the time.
As the GPS unit in the car back home might say, “Recalculating…”
Thankfully Pianetto waited out my mad dash across town and graciously smiled (how, I don’t know) when I finally ran through the door.
Five minutes later, with chilly glasses of wine in hand, we talked about her days working for J. Crew. She works in the loungewear division, which means she designs swimsuits, coverups and jammies.
She described spending her early days in the department doing what all interns do: whatever anyone
needed.
Those other interns have returned to school, but Pianetto remains, sketching, fitting models and learning as much as she possibly can.
Hard work comes naturally to Pianetto.
“There’s a difference between confidence and arrogance,” she said. “I try to remember to look at everything as an opportunity and learn something new each day.”
Pianetto said one of the reasons she likes J. Crew so much is because every garment is a collaborative effort. From the designer’s sketch pad to those who style it for the catalog, everyone gets involved.
Designing swimwear for a major player in the industry is a 180-degree turn from her school days. As a student, she had her
own vision, while now she keeps to J. Crew’s aesthetic. But she does spend less time with her sewing machine. Now a finished garment comes back from production in a few weeks.
And this young woman has the perspective of an old sage.
“This opportunity is truly life changing. I’ve been given an incredible gift,” she said. “I was never hung up on winning [the internship] because I don’t think of it like that. I was completely stunned that J. Crew is the starting point of my journey.”
Originally published October 20, 2011 in Pioneer Press Newspapers.
Reposted with permission.