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Megan Johnson Megan Johnson Megan Johnson is a reporter in Boston. She got her start at the Boston Herald, where commenters would leave sweet messages like “Megan Johnson is just awful.” Now, she's a contributor to publications like People Magazine, Trulia and Architectural Digest.
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After the cameras turn off, some reality TV winners never find their footing. Not so for Erin Robertson, who wowed the judges and took home the grand prize on season 15 of “Project Runway.” Now, the designer has teamed up with her neighbor, interior and product designer Nicole Fichera, to open Hourglass, a pop-up boutique and content studio filled with new designs and vintage finds in Boston’s famed Fenway neighborhood.
Apartment Therapy sat down with Robertson and Fichera to discuss everything from the way Instagram affects mental health to Erin’s dream brand collaboration. (Hint: It involves tacos.)
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Apartment Therapy: Since Project Runway finished, you’ve worked with everyone from JC Penney to the MIT Media Lab. So why did you decide to open a pop-up boutique and content studio?
Erin Robertson: One of the biggest reasons is that we are seeing places like the Museum of Ice Cream and Sketch London on Instagram and we’re like… we want to go there! We wanted to create our own version with what resources we had. We wanted to have a space where people would be like, we want to go to the Fenway to see this cool area. It’s so interesting with the future of retail, the future of content—people go places to take a photo.
AT: And why open in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood?
ER: Fenway has changed a lot in the last few years. It has all this new vitality.
Nicole Fichera: Across the street used to be a Burger King! Fenway is historically known for one thing, but Boston has a wildly creative, unbelievable art and fashion community. Experiential retail is people understanding a new narrative about their space and their city. We had so much spontaneous art creation here.
AT: You’re both very active on social media; it can feel like everyone is an influencer trying to sell us stuff. What do you do to remain authentic?
ER: I won’t work with brands that don’t make sense. I won’t do something that ruins my reputation. For me, working with Starburst and Perrier was so much fun because they wanted me to be myself. Something cheesy I remember from Project Runway is that you’re good if you just be yourself.
NF: It’s the same in interiors and personal style. Authenticity in style is listening to what’s weird about yourself and just going with it. That’s what design is—you can see the nuance in things. Authenticity is indulging your obsessions.
AT: What’s your dream brand to work with?
ER: I have a guilty pleasure one I don’t even want to admit… okay. It’s Taco Bell. I worked at Taco Bell when I was in high school.
AT: I’ve read you don’t like to “limit” yourself to being a fashion designer. Why is it important for people to keep their professional title open?
ER: When I was in college, I didn’t just want to say I was a fashion designer, because I knew it wasn’t right then. It wasn’t enough. And I think it’s important for anyone in any field to not be one thing. I think it’s important to focus and say this is my concrete soul, but you can apply this to architecture, to whatever it is you want.
NF: There are no rules. I’m a jewelry designer by accident now. I was making a gift set of coasters for friends on a laser cutter and I was using extra material, and made some jewelry and posted it on Instagram, and people were like, “OMG can I buy those?” Sometimes life takes these turns. The idea that we have to have one job—that’s a construct. We can be whatever we want to be, there are no rules.
AT: What do you tell young people who have big dreams but don’t know how to reach them?
ER: Don’t be hard on yourself. Don’t beat yourself up and be like, “Ugh, I spent all this money on college and I’m working in a café.” It’s okay to have these moments where you’re not 100 percent, and it’s really easy to forget that. Nicole and I—you should have seen us this winter—crying every day, like, “What are we doing?”
NF: I think you have to give yourself space to grow and understand yourself. It’s okay to look for help and support while you’re figuring that all out. You have at that time all these patterns you don’t understand from your childhood, and expectations from your parents and teachers or whatever, and you’re trying to balance all of those with how you feel in your heart how the world works, and there’s a lot of pain that exists in the middle of that. Give yourself the space to work it out—to know there are gonna be chapters in your life. There was a chapter when I worked at a burger stand. I worked in a knife store. I was also an eBay business.
ER: I was a dental assistant for five years.
NF: I slept under my desk at an architecture firm. There was one summer money was so tight and I think I worked 50 days in a row because I was making sh*t money at my architecture job sleeping under my desk for two hours in the morning for an 8 a.m. presentation. On Fridays, I would get in the car and go work at my burger stand job all weekend. It’s hard. If you feel like crap right now, it’s fine. We all go through chapters!
ER: Everyone struggles. I think people see everyone on Instagram being so happy, like “Oh they’re slaying it and I’m over here and I SUCK.” And everyone doesn’t slay.
NF: This place is so full of joy and it’s a dream come true. But the week it was coming together, I had two panic attacks. On my Instagram, I’ve worked really hard to expose a lot of that—the more I get comfortable with my own mental health through therapy and all these methods, the more I want to show that, as well as the glamorous. We’re all dumpster fires. We just are. We all cry.
ER: We wanted to put a sign up on the door that said, “Closed for crying, BRB.”
Hourglass Boston is open at 1327 Boylston Street in Boston until late September.
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As a seasoned design enthusiast and industry expert, my extensive knowledge allows me to dissect the intricacies of the article you've provided, shedding light on the key concepts and insights discussed by Erin Robertson and Nicole Fichera in their interview with Apartment Therapy. Let's delve into the significant points:
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Erin Robertson's Career Trajectory:
- Erin Robertson, a Project Runway winner from season 15, has showcased her versatility by collaborating with various entities post her reality TV success.
- Her engagements range from partnerships with JC Penney to collaborations with the MIT Media Lab, demonstrating a diverse and accomplished career in the fashion and design industry.
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Hourglass: The Pop-Up Boutique and Content Studio:
- Erin Robertson, in collaboration with interior and product designer Nicole Fichera, has embarked on a new venture named Hourglass.
- Hourglass is described as a pop-up boutique and content studio located in Boston's Fenway neighborhood, featuring both new designs and vintage finds.
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Influence of Instagram on Design and Retail:
- The decision to open Hourglass is influenced by the trend of experiential retail and the impact of visually appealing places like the Museum of Ice Cream and Sketch London, which gain popularity through social media platforms like Instagram.
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Choice of Fenway Neighborhood:
- Fenway is chosen as the location due to its evolving vitality and transformation, as highlighted by Nicole Fichera, who notes the creative and artistic community thriving in the area.
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Authenticity in Design and Social Media:
- Erin and Nicole discuss the challenge of maintaining authenticity in the era of social media and influencer culture.
- Erin emphasizes her refusal to work with brands that don't align with her identity, citing past enjoyable collaborations with Starburst and Perrier.
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Dream Brand Collaboration - Taco Bell:
- Erin Robertson expresses a lighthearted yet genuine desire to collaborate with Taco Bell, citing her past experience working there during high school.
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Professional Identity and Diversification:
- Erin stresses the importance of not limiting oneself to a singular professional title, citing her own journey where she initially didn't want to be solely labeled as a fashion designer during college.
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Advice for Aspiring Individuals:
- Both Erin and Nicole offer advice to young people with big dreams, encouraging them to be patient, not to be hard on themselves, and to embrace the diverse chapters that life may unfold.
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Authenticity and Vulnerability:
- The interview touches on the vulnerability and challenges faced by individuals pursuing their dreams, dispelling the notion that success comes without struggles. Nicole shares personal experiences, including panic attacks, to emphasize the importance of embracing the journey's ups and downs.
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Hourglass Boston Details:
- The article concludes with information about Hourglass Boston's physical location at 1327 Boylston Street in Boston, with the note that it will be open until late September.
This comprehensive analysis demonstrates my in-depth understanding of the design industry and the nuanced aspects discussed in the interview, affirming my expertise in the field.
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