Local teen fashion phenom stitches in time
by Anthony Gioffre, Guest Contributor
Look out, San Diego! Look out America! Look out world! Here comes Trevor Erwin. The 19-year-old fashion designer with a store in Hillcrest.
I didn’t know all this until I started buying his clothing. His company is “Insufficient Fun,” and it is located at 1201 University Ave. (on the corner of University and Vermont) in Hillcrest, inside Darrell’s Modern Trends Thrift Store.
When I was 30 years of age, I opened a modeling agency in Upstate New York, a commercial agency with a new faces division for the fashion houses and agencies in New York. One of my major clients was Tommy Hilfiger. I previously worked for Elite/John Casablancas model management agency, traveling throughout the country for a good 5 years before opening up on my own.
Because I had a working relationship with Elite New York, Upstate New York and Northeastern Pennsylvania were my territories, in terms of discovering new faces for Elite New York, while operating my commercial agency in that region.
So I have a history of seeking out young new talent.
Circa 1990. It was a good time for me. Unfortunately, it was not for many people as AIDS hit the fashion industry like a sledgehammer. One of my good friends, the director of Perry Ellis Men, predicted the end of the “male up-and-coming fashion designer.”
Because of AIDS, investors were shying away from investing in young gay male designers, for fear of losing them to AIDS and thus their investments. After all, we lost Perry Ellis in 1986, model Gia Corangi in 1986, Willie Smith in 1987, and Halston in 1990.
That’s just some of the history of fashion designers from that time. AIDS is not as scary today as it was back then.
As the years went on, my interest in fashion, clothing, models and such fell by the wayside, as I pursued other career interests.
Not since the ’90s have I been interested in new design or talent until I started buying Trevor’s clothing and discovered he was only 19 years old.
I recently purchased a jacket for the fall at Trevor’s Insufficient Fun store. Nearly everywhere I traveled that day people asked me where they could get that jacket. I encountered seven people in one afternoon asking about the jacket, and where they could get one like it. I was only too happy to pass on the information.
With my aforementioned history, coupled with my age, I feel it is my duty and responsibility, to bring this exciting young man’s designs to the attention of the LGBTQ community here in San Diego. I think it’s important for several reasons.
I sat down with Trevor for one of my famous interviews, of which I have not produced or published in nine years. All that said, here is my interview:
Anthony Gioffre (Anthony): Okay Trevor, how did all this designing start?
Trevor Erwin (Trevor): Well, it just came out of left field. I was a boxer before and have traveled the country with the sport. I was very much into boxing, However due to an accident, I had to have reconstructive surgery twice. The surgeries were successful, but it pretty much ended what I hoped to have been my boxing career. As you can imagine, I fell into a slight depression, because I didn’t have any direction. And that bothered me. I thought to myself that my parents own a clothing store. I could make clothing and sell it at the store. So, it was out of desperation for direction and just seemed like the most logical one for the time. This was to be my purpose, which was now lacking.
(Anthony): Where do you get your inspiration?
(Trevor): Honestly, my inspiration comes from my desire to find myself … period. I know that sounds strange, but I am actually inspired by my lack of direction. The clothing I make each round helps me find direction. As time goes on, I feel that I am less lost than I was before.
However, I’m not where I want to be. I know that I can do much better with the right tools. I’m not a rich kid whose parents give them everything on a silver platter. I have to work for what I have, and I will have to work hard to reach the next level. So it’s me finding myself as I go to the next level of design. It’s a matter of emotional satisfaction for me. So it kind of works backwards for me. I get my inspiration by my own desire to discover myself. The rest is my artistic vision.
(Anthony): What do you think has been your greatest accomplishment thus far on your journey?
(Trevor): Probably selling about a thousand items since I began.
(Anthony): Has anything been disappointing for you?
(Trevor): I like my clothing. I think it’s good but I know I can do better. It takes more tools than what I have available to me today. I have a design studio that is growing in capacity. It will just take time. More resources than I have available to me right now.
(Anthony): So what can we expect from you in the future?
(Trevor): Well currently, I am in the running for a three-month internship in Milan, Italy. If that comes through, you can expect maturity and growth in my designs. That’s what I’m hoping for.
My impression overall of this young man was that he is extremely well spoken. His talent at his age can only grow and grow. I am impressed with this young man’s desire to find and discover himself. Reinventing himself at age 19? Through his own designs? I think that’s brilliant. He is clearly wise beyond his years.
He is located on the corner of University Avenue and Vermont. What I hope for him is that one day “Insufficient Fun” will become sufficient. Just not too soon.
** “In the clearing stands a boxer” is a reference from a Simon and Garfunkel song, “The Boxer,” from the 1970 album, “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
(Read out story on Trevor’s family business – Darrell’s Modern Trends Thrift Store here)
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