Interview with Designer Erik Rosete

 Astound Magazine had a chance to chat with Erik Rosete, designer, entrepreneur, and the founder of Art Hearts Fashion, one of the most highly anticipated shows of this season’s LA Fashion week. On how he got into fashion:

Erik Rosete: About six years ago I was living in LA, and I had a model, an actress actually who wanted to get into the acting world, and I just thought she was so gorgeous, that she should be modeling. So I just kind of just forced her to move to New York. We packed our bags, I invested all of my time and money there, and I kind of went out there and gambled.

And so the first agency that we walked into was IMG because I figured we might as well go to the top. Went in there and fought for her, and said “This girl’s going to be huge.” And they liked my pitch so much, that they not only gave her a contract, but they ended up giving me a contract.I started working with female models, and scouting them and whatnot.

I came back to L.A., and within six months of being back in L.A., I had already decided to do fashion. I had a friend approach me that I hadn’t seen in about 10 years. He asked me to come to his fashion show in L.A. So I went to his fashion show in L.A., and after the fashion show he asked me to be a manager.

So I became his manager, and the first thing I did was I decided to redo his entire fashion line. So I reshot it, redid the campaigns, and I basically created an image that I thought was more appropriate for his fashion lines, I made it really cool and fun. And within six months of working with him, I took him to New York and got him doing New York Fashion Week with Style 360.

And we ended up just growing from there. I got him Kendall Jenner…and so I was producing these big shows now in New York City.
And so we came back to L.A. and we started getting approached by a lot of other designers to work with them as well. They wanted me to manage them. And so I decided to create an event that showcased artistic designers and artists, and a lot of fashion photographers.



 Basically all the other people that had been helping me out, and basically just built the things that I wanted to do, and I was having fun. So I wanted to do something to showcase them.
On his own line, “Mr. Triple X”:

ER: In that process [of producing other fashion shows] I decided to do something for myself because I figured, it’s time for me to tell my own story. That’s where my fashion line, Mister Triple X came about, and it kind of just started growing from there.

So a lot of the original fashion sets that I was doing were like the launch of Mister Triple X, and kind of a fun story that I created about it….it plays out like a comic book.

How he’s put together some of the biggest shows at NY Fashion Week:
ER: Last year, I started working with a group of Italian designers, and was going to do a big show with them at Style 360, but what ended up happening was that the Super Bowl came to town, and a lot of sponsors and whatnot pulled out of the fashion stuff, and they decided to do Super Bowl instead. I needed a venue.

I had all these Italian designers and all the fine artistic designers that were flying to New York City, and I had nowhere to go. So I had really not thought that I was in the position or the place to show at IMG because…because they usually work with top designers with million dollar budgets.

And so I had no anticipation that they would even approve us. So I went in there, I gave them a call, I did my thing, and once again just a repeat of what had happened before is that I did such a great pitch, that they ended up giving me the closing show, at the biggest venue that they have, and it just so happened that in a blizzard where all of the public transportation was shut down, and a lot of shows were getting cancelled, and no one could get around New York City, somehow I had close to 1,500 people show up and it was the biggest show in Fashion Week my first time there. And I was able to show my line and whatnot as well. It just kind of started growing from there.

On the motivation for founding the Art Hearts Fashion show:
ER: I just wasn’t really happy with the platforms that were here in Los Angeles because I was doing my event as part of other platforms, and I just figured it’s time for us to pull out of that and create our own where I can have complete control, and I can actually feature the artists and the designers that I want, as opposed to making it about money or other restrictions that they had as far as showing [at other shows].

For me, it’s about the art and about the talent, and about if I want to sponsor a designer or I want somebody to show with me that I know is talented. I don’t care if they can’t come up with the money, I’ll make it work. And so I had to basically evolve into my own platform.

Now here we are, months later in L.A., and I’m basically putting together a Fashion Week based off of my idea and my concept by showcasing artistic designers because again, we’re in Hollywood, and Hollywood is all about the show and about the art, and these are actual designers that take fashion to the next level, and are actually taking it as an art form versus just regular plain clothes like you see down the street, and you’re going “That’s boring.” I didn’t want to do something boring. I wanted to do something great and exciting. 

Showcase designers that I thought were creating something unique and artistic, and taking the art form of fashion to the next level, and it’s really, really great.
We went from having a show in a night club that I created years ago, just displaying artwork, to then being the closing show for the number one fashion platform in the world, to now being an entire Fashion Week here in Los Angeles. We’re doing a 3-day event here, and just basically getting the most attention out of any of the other fashion platforms that are here, and it’s just an amazing, great dream come true.

On the philanthropic side of Art Hearts Fashion:

ER: Everything that we do in this world should have some type of a meaning…I wanted it to also be able to give back and create a platform that benefitted multiple charities. All charities based on things that have affected people in either my life or in the fashion community…And so I chose charities and causes that people can relate with, and people want to rally for and support. This year we’ve been blessed by having a great partnership with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and they support us in every way they can, and we create these platforms and these events that build awareness for who they are and what they’re doing.

Here in Los Angeles, it’s not only an event, but we have a way that people can support by donating. If they’re donating a couple hundred dollars, then they get passes to the shows, they get to meet the designers, they get more, they get to be involved. But these are people that normally wouldn’t have access to these events that are ‘invite only,’ to be able to come by showing the support for these charities.
On what he is most excited for this show:

ER: The LED video wall, backdrop, the music, the bass…everything. I want to make it a very entertaining experience for people, and I’m just excited about being able to do this.
Make sure to check out Erik’s ever-growing brainchild, Art Hearts Fashion. To find out more, visit www.ArtHeartsFashion.com, and keep an eye out for Astound Magazine’s coverage of the upcoming event.

Interviewed from: ASTOUND MAGAZINE