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Helloooo loves! I’m so so so excited to introduce you to one of my new favorite designers and brands, Eric Renteria and Etiquette Vintage Design!

As you know I adore all things preppy. I stumbled upon EVD while surfing the interwebs and fell in love. Eric’s looks pay homage to, nay, incorporate the letterman sweaters of decades past, with bold school colors, emblems, and custom embellishments. What I would have given to have had one of these while walking across Mizzou’s campus during the fall months. *sigh*

Eric is simply fab, as are his designs. Check out these lovely images then read on for a Q&A session with the man himself!

Was there a specific moment in your life that you realized you were drawn to the styles of decades past (mainly 30s-60s)? What in particular draws you to those styles?

Growing up, I was always exposed to music from the 1940s and 50s. My mother spoke of her childhood growing up with her grandmother and of the parties they used to have. She made it seem so romantic and fun. My father has always collected antiques and I loved hearing each item’s story, imagining what it was like when it was new or who had used it throughout its lifetime. I grew up in a city two hours north and often passed through Lubbock, Texas. Buddy Holly is from Lubbock, and I always thought it was cool that he had such an influence on rock and roll and loved the style and attitude of that era. The people that came out of that particular decade really set the standard for “cool”.

To me being sexy is a state of mind and an attitude. During those years the dress was very fitted and feminine and I love it. The dresses and shirts were very fitted and sexy, dresses were cinched at the waist. The hairstyles were wonderful for men and women. I really enjoy the preppy look of the early to mid 50’s.

Your collection consists of mainly vintage letterman jackets/sweaters. What made you decide to focus on those? Were there any items that you were interested in developing before you decided on the jackets/sweaters?

I started out with Letterman sweaters because that was simply the first thing I designed. I saw a classmate at a coffee shop wearing his uncle’s and I loved it. Living in the same neighborhood that Buddy Holly grew up in also had a big influence on things. I never set out to start a line, it kind of happened by accident. People kept asking me about it and wanted to know where they could get one. I also felt that the dress on campus had become so unpolished and it was time for a change. People always wearing the same-busted gray sweater or PJ pants to class had to change.

I really want to get away from the sweater thing and branch out into socks, dresses, skirts, bags and accessories and fitted blazers.

Walk us through your process of creating a new piece, start to finish.

Every sweater is different. I only use vintage sweaters and letterman sweaters. I use vintage patches and keep each sweater as original as possible. I first ask the customer what school and color combo they want. Size is also a big factor – back in the day, people were so much smaller. I look everywhere for sweaters – estate sales, online and vintage shops. For a basic sweater, it is a 3-week project because of shipping, hand stitching, mending, dry cleaning and embroidery. I leave most of the old letter patches on the sweater and never remove the original owner’s name. I think it is so cool to trace back the history of each sweater.

How do you manage to juggle school, designing/creating, and the business side of EVD?

Managing school and a fashion line has been challenging. I do all the sewing, most of the online work, styling, finding the sweaters, ordering of all patches and setting up fashion shows. In school, I am taking 12 hours on top of studying and meeting with my tutor. I often wake up early and stay up late. I am currently studying exercise science and have never been enrolled in a design or fashion class, though I would love to someday when time permits.

What are some important lessons you’ve learned since you started EVD? What advice or words of wisdom would you give to other young designers just starting out?

There are many things I have learned and the most important one is that people should always surround themselves with people who are positive, motivated, and that want to do great things. I feel that this kind of thought process rubs off on everyone. I also learned that people will try to use you and that not everyone is as excited about what you are doing as a business owner. Some people will work hard and some will try to drain you of your happiness or creativity. Always remember why you started doing what you are doing. Only you can make yourself be sad, happy, unsuccessful or successful.

Can you give us any hints on what you have planned for your next collection or line? What can we expect to see from you in the near future? What about 5, 10 years down the line? Where would you ultimately like to see your brand?

As for the future, I hope to work for a design house or have the funds to branch out into other types of things. Right now I am only able to use what money I make from each sweater sold to expand my business. I would love to start branding myself. I would like to start putting my crest on all of my designs. I am not in this for a few months; I want this to be a life long journey.

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