Q+A-April 2010
Photograph by Shoshannah White
Styling by Rhonda Birkbeck

Age: 35
Occupation: graphic, surface, and textile designer
Location: Gorham

Describe what you are wearing in the shot. I’m wearing my Frye boots, Indian earrings, and a very funky, vintage, handmade Asian kimono I found at a garage sale. My amazing Aunt Darlene took it in for me so it would fit. I love finding old things and making them new again.

From here or away?
I’m from Colorado. I’ve been here ten years.

Why do you live in Maine? 
My beautiful parents, the vastness of land and trees, and of course, the ocean.

What are you up to? Where are you off to?
I’m sending exclusive designs for the Accessories Unlimited 2010 spring launch to the silk-screener, as well as sending final prints for a new line of women’s yoga wear. But right now I’m off to a lunchtime Pilates blast. When I get back, I’ll be on to little girls’ Speedo swimwear comps.

Are you an authority on any subject? 
I am an expert junker. I love the hunt. One recent find is a set of vintage sushi bowls shaped
like lilies that have an incredible color palette.

Tell us about the oldest item in your closet that gets regular wear.
I have a collection of vintage silk scarves that I wear all the time, either in my hair or around my neck. Vera Neumann is one of the designers that I’ve collected forever, and I love to pair her scarves with a chunky sweater and jeans, especially when I’m missing color from some of our gray days here in Maine.

The newest? 
I just purchased Lollia perfume. Imagine a flowering willow and lotus scent; it’s very soft. My daughter buried her head in my neck and said, “Oh Mommy, you smell delicious!” She’s 5, so I think delicious is good.

The most fashionable thing you own is…
A handmade pair of 24k-gold wire earrings from Calcutta that my grandmother gave me.

Who inspires you? 
Vera Neumann, Marimekko, Jasper Johns, Victor Vasarely, Marcel Breuer, vintage everything, poetry by Rumi, classical music, and my insanely passionate children.

Do you own anything that represents your style? 
My vintage Frye boots. I had them before they were cool. They are old-school stylish, and worn and broken in perfectly…and with a little love they polish up nicely!

Erin Flett is a wife and mother of two little girls. She lives and breathes design, from her day job to her wardrobe. A graphic designer, Flett does everything from brand identity to packaging as part of her studio e flett design. She also covers surfaces ranging from apparel to paper with her licensed bright, bold prints, and sells an accessible line of hand-screened pillows on Etsy.com. Each pillow is covered in bark cloth, a fabric throwback to the 40s and 50s that has a unique, organic texture, as funky as Flett herself. | erinflett.com