Fashion Focus with Eric Horwitz
February 5, 2018
This week we interviewed Eric Horwitz, to learn more about what inspire his unique sense of style and to hear some funny stories about his fashion journey thus far.
GW: Can you define your style in three words?
EH: Uh… I’d say experimental…I don’t know what the word is for this but like where you take one piece of clothing and you try to make that- that pop. And like everything else is dull but that one thing is colorful. I don’t know what that is… and I guess another thing would be maybe sometimes daring, I think it is sometimes.
GW: And why would you say daring?
EH: Because I feel- so like we live in kind of a suburban area, you know, so I dress- well I feel like this, what I’m wearing right now would be suburban but then I know some of the outfits I wear are urban and more people in this school don’t wear it. So I feel it’s more daring because people judge you like you’re not trying to be suburban- [it’s not] live in the suburbs, be suburb, you know.
GW: Who inspires your style?
EH: So I don’t know but I feel like a lot of people inspire my style and like it’s pretty much just who I kinda want to be that day. It’s kind of weird. It’s kind of like- so Tyler, the Creator, maybe if I watch an interview of him the day before, the day after I’ll try to, if I want to, maybe I’ll dress like him with colors that don’t match or stuff like that. But then there’s also Kanye, who’s kinda all black. Virgil Ablo, Ian Connor, and all those different designers- they inspire me to come up with new ideas for outfits like this shirt would go with these pants or these pants would go with these shoes, that kind of stuff.
GW: So it’s different people and who, however you want to feel that day?
EH: Yeah, yeah it’s different people but I’d say top three would probably be like Tyler, Kanye, and, Virgil Ablo.
GW: Where are your favorite places to shop?
EH: I shop online at a lotta European places like…there’s a place called Dover Street Market, Très Bien. Then I also shop at like high end designers- stuff like Supreme, I got some Louis Vuitton- like high designers and then there’s the H&M but my favorite would probably be…wait let me think…maybe Supreme.
GW: So that would be your top designer?
EH: Well, favorite designers are probably Raf Simmons, Virgil Ablo, and Ian Connor.
GW: So what would you wear if cost weren’t an issue, what designer?
EH: Uhhm, what designers would I go to?…I’d probably go to Louis Vuitton.
GW: What is your advice for people who want to amp up their style, especially in a suburban area like Westlake?
EH: Well, I remember this one time, I think it was freshman year, and I don’t know why but I thought it was like too daring to even wear black jeans. I don’t know I just felt like it was like, cause I used to wear khakis and shorts cause I felt like I just couldn’t do it. And I just saw this one video of Justin Bieber and James Corden, and they were just like foolin around-
GW: Oh! In the Carpool Karaoke?
EH: Yeah, yeah and James Corden was like I don’t think I can wear this, and then Justin Bieber was like, that’s a problem if you think you can’t wear these outfits but you just gotta wear them because you look good, not cause you want to look good for others. So I guess I would say dress how you like, if you want to dress suburban, dress suburban. If you want to dress somewhere else, just do it.
GW: So what do you think people’s biggest fear is with fashion?
EH: Um, maybe- I think music and fashion go hand in hand so I think it’s like people not liking what their style is, it’s just like not liking what kinda music they like.
GW: Do you want fashion to have anything to do with your future?
EH: Um, I mean I already design clothing but I’d say if not that- I mean I’m pretty sure it’s always gonna be, cause even like when I’m going to get gas, I’ll always try to dress like this, just cause you know? So I feel like it’ll always be a part of my life like I’ll always care about it.
GW: So why do you think fashion is important to you?
EH: Cause it helps me- so I don’t know, I’m kind of a quiet guy you know. I’m not shy but I’m quiet. But I feel like a lot of people keep saying I’m mysterious, or quiet because I don’t talk so I feel like dressing in a certain way helps you express something about you even if it’s like confidence, I don’t know just some other feeling. With Tyler, it’s like he doesn’t care, it’s like he likes himself, you know? But for me I don’t talk that much so it shows through my clothing, I feel.
GW: What age did you think you developed your style?
EH: I’d say it was probably freshman year.
GW: What is your favorite time period for fashion?
EH: I like the 90s, but I also like how it is right now. Like I don’t like the hypebeasts, and all that kind of stuff where they’re draped in Supreme, but I like how it’s more experimental now and I like that aspect of it, but then again I do like the 90s and the faded colors and you know, yeah I’d say the 90s then.
GW: Do you think it’s ok to be outside of fashion norms? Would you judge someone for wearing something you, per say, wouldn’t consider nice?
EH: I wouldn’t judge someone for it because- so I look at a lot of runways shows and like for example, Gucci, they have these really weird clothing I would never wear, like some weird trench coat type thing and I look at it more as art, than them trying to make it look good. Cause when I look at kilts- I will never wear a kilt in my life- but I see everything as more of creative, how did they think of putting that design into that, or making, or sewing it. So I guess I wouldn’t judge someone for what they’re wearing.
GW: What do you think are the best and worst parts of the fashion industry?
EH: I think bigger corporations are starting to marginalize their designers. For example, Kanye West and Nike used to have this one agreement that was originally his Yeezys thing before he went to Adidas.The reason why he went to Adidas was because Kanye pretty much just asked Nike, when are my Yeezys coming out? And Nike was like I don’t know. And it’s kinda like saying we don’t really care about you cause you’re not a sports thing, you know. You’re not an athlete. And it’s also like, they’ll give Michael Jordan royalties but not Kanye West cause he doesn’t play any sports, and it’s kinda like- but they’re both designers. So I feel like bigger corporations not treating smaller corporations and their designers the same. I think that’s the biggest problem.
GW: What do you think the best part is?
EH: The best part is…I’d say…I’d say, especially right now, with the experimental, a bunch of ideas from let’s say the 80s and then they’re incorporating it into now, what the 2010s? I feel like that’s the best part, just like all the ideas coming together to make this one big piece.
GW: And how do you pick out your outfits everyday?
EH: Well, first, with the weather, cause it gets really cold, you know, but uh I’d say it’s probably just what I’m feeling that day. Like let’s say yesterday, I wore a really urban thing, I might switch it up the next day. I try not to wear the same hoodie twice a week, that’s another thing I look at. The second thing is probably just the kind of colors I want. Some days I just want a really bland- white, black, gray. But some days I just wanna throw in a little blue. It’s just how I wake up, because I don’t normally plan my outfits the day before, it’s really just the morning. Sometimes it’s just the first piece of clothing I look at and I think, “How can I put that into an outfit I like?”
GW: What’s your favorite article of clothing or accessory?
EH: I like crewnecks a lot. I don’t know why, I just really like them. Or anything long sleeves, just cause I like sleeves a lot. I like when the sleeves, they pop, I don’t know why. But favorite is crewnecks, yeah.
GW: And why did you pick the gold chain to become your thing?
EH: I didn’t know it was my thing, but ah-
GW: I don’t know if it’s officially your thing, I’ve just noticed it, it’s new.
EH: Alright, ah I’ll get a new chain tomorrow.
GW: No, keep it! We just want to know why, is it a rap thing?
EH: No, it’s not really a rap thing. It’s just- I felt it would go well with the outfits because I wear- for crewnecks and everything- I wear a lot of solid colors so I feel if I add a gold chain, it pops with anything, especially with black.
GW: Any last fashion stories?
EH: The first time I really wanted to get into fashion was 7th or 8th grade. It was my friend, I don’t know if you remember, Tommy Eichenberg. I had these fake Timberlands and like no one was wearing Timberlands in our grade, and he had fake Timberlands too. He was like, how about we both wear it tomorrow. And so I was like alright. Next day, I come in and I’m wearing my Timberlands but he’s not wearing his so I’m like the only person.
GW: Aww, that’s mean!
EH: Yeah, he got scared. I don’t know why he got scared. And when people saw me wearing them, they were like, “Oh my god, Eric’s got Timberlands on” and stuff. From that feeling of people noticing you for what you’re wearing, it kind of got me to dress better and better, like wearing watched freshman year. After that, people started wearing watches in art, or in my room. But now I’m not really like that anymore. I don’t really care if people notice what I wear anymore.