Pinar Eris originally lived in Turkey then decided to move to California 11 years ago. Becoming a fashion designer was a childhood dream she never thought would become a reality.

After moving to the United States she began taking art classes at different colleges.  Only after completing her first sewing class did she decide to focus on clothing.

“Since then, it is my endless love.”  To her, fashion is a way to have fun and express yourself while living in that moment.

Pinar explains that building a fashion line takes patience and continued effort. “When you think you could take a breath after finishing the collection, right away you start to work on orders, marketing, the next collection.”

“I love my work, but of course, it comes with a package.” The “package” Pinar refers to is constant dedication to her work. She may not have much time for herself but the reward is worth it. “I love to create and see all the process. I love to hear when the customer says, 'I got lots of compliments last night!' Then I forget all the stress that I had been through.”

Pinar worked two jobs to support herself while designing but she still believes it was worth it.
“Honestly, this is not an easy road. It is a fun world but it is not as easy as you see from the outside. There are lots of up and downs in this business.” 

Designing with a small budget sometimes leaves her envious of more established designers.  “With a small budget it's hard to create as much as you can and get the hits. When I hear that the big companies create 1,000 and then choose 200 to offer, I am like, wow! Because I only have a chance to create around 15 items … and it is hard to hit the target with a smaller showcase.”

Pinar likes to create the styles that she herself would wear. Designers that have inspired her include Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, and Betsey Johnson.

Her advice to aspiring designers: “Maybe like 20 percent of your time you will actually design. The rest is patterns, sewing, fitting, presentations, marketing, getting orders. However, if you are patient enough and do love your work then I am sure [the] future would hold great things for you.”

One significant moment of her career is LA Weekly featuring an outfit she designed for the band Imogen Heap at the Grammy Awards in 2007.

“If you stumble, if you fall, you just need to stand up, [keep] walking, I guess that is the secret...” You can see Pinar Eris’ blog and portfolio on UsTrendy.com.