Long ago, in a country far, far away, called Canada, a young girl by the name of Erin Magee stared at her Madonna posters and bopped around to “Like a Virgin” on her Walkman. She dreamed of leaving her strange country behind for a place called New York City. “I left at 17 because I’d read so much about her [Madonna’s] life on the Lower East Side. I mean I didn’t become a singer or anything, but that’s why I came to America.” Madonna is one of the main inspirations behind Erin’s label MadeMe, which is why Erin is front row every time Madge comes to town. “I’m probably gonna put her kids through college,” she reflects, regarding the insane amount of cash shelled out over the years. Erin also has an almost life-sized tattoo of Madonna’s face—ask her to lift up her shirt sometime if you don’t believe me! I met Erin at her new, virtually empty Williamsburg apartment. To curb my confusion about the move from the Lower East Side, she explains, “I fell in love.” While I’m admiring her rare Brooklyn backyard, she adds, “It was for the love shit, against the Brooklyn shit.” She smiles adding, “Love won!” I get the stink-eye when I admit to just waking up from a nap. While Miss Busybody-Erin was up at 6 am. She spent a couple of hours at her warehouse and then headed to Supreme until almost 8pm. After this interview, she’s going to look at a retail space, then head back to the city to finish moving. Whew. “You know, Diddy only sleeps four and a half hours a night,” she tells me.
Erin began her fashion career at Umbro. She quickly went from copies and coffees to heading the company’s collaborations. After collaborating with Kim Jones, Umbro teamed up with Supreme. Then Supreme kidnapped her, forced her to be their production manger, and the rest is street wear history. She started MadeMe as her girly-street wear design project, a creative relief from all she was doing production-wise at Supreme. This season’s MadeMe line includes leather jackets we’re OBSESSED with. Grape colored, buttery soft, greaser style motorcycle jacket much? And then there’s the black leather Averex-like hooded bomber (prices are around $700 for these bad boys). “This is the first time I have made a collection where I don’t wanna puke when I look at it.” She adds, “You know what I mean? You can only look at things so many times. But seriously, the fits, the fabrics… I am really feeling myself!” She then literally starts feeling herself by touching her boobs (JK) and adds, “Ask me next week and I will probably be puking!” There is also a collaboration with a mysterious 80’s street wear brand currently in the works, “I am not saying who. I don’t want to jinx myself.” And there is new stuff on the way from her running collaboration with spandex queen Peggy Noland. “One: her stuff is dope. Two: I want to have a reason to call her once a week,” gushes Erin, about her fashion love affair with Ms. Noland. Seems as though Erin Magee is never not working. “Once Fall is shipped, I start right on Spring!” She shrugs, “Sleep when you're rich or dead, right?” Well, maybe just dead. And before you die, spend your money at mademeclothing.com—Sarah Morrison
Published in Missbehave Magazine, January 2009
