Inside Look: Ericia Bartels
Posted: 1/14/2010

Anyone who has seen them would agree that Ericia Bartels' creations are nothing short of exquisite. A metalsmith by trade, Ericia will be showcasing her hat designs at the Detroit Artists Market 2010 Design Show. And though she humbly credits luck combined with the help of her friends with getting her start in the industry, we think her unmistakable talent may have something to do with it. We sat down with Ericia to talk about her creative design process and her upcoming hat showcase as one of the featured designers at the Detroit Artists Market event on January 15.

What do you design?

I am primarily a metalsmith, making small objects and jewelry. But I would prefer to think of myself as a designer of many things — clothes, hats, jewelry, scarves, objects and jewelry.

 

How did your career as an artist begin?

I have always made things, since I was a child. I began in fashion back in the 80s. I apprenticed with some local designers. I learned from them and from books how to sew and make patterns. I eventually took some millinery classes and opened a small hat shop in Trapper’s Alley. Some years later, I returned to school earning my BFA from The College for Creative Studies and eventually a MFA from Wayne State University in Metalsmithing.

 

When did you start designing hats?

When I moved back from New York in 1990 I decided to become a hat designer and then it just took off.

 

How did you get your start?

Absolute luck…and a little help from my friends.

 

 

Where do you draw your inspiration for your designs?

For jewelry, lately I have been inspired by disease and germs. It seems such an obsession with our culture. For the hats, I just picked up where I left off and went from there. Somewhere between the two is where I ended up on this project.

 

What is your design process from start to finish for a hat?
I may have a vision in my head, and then I begin. Fabric, images, ribbons and feathers all just sort of piled up and then I start to assemble it into something cohesive.  Sometimes it becomes its own entity, changing during the process. They are all hand sewn which adds considerable time. Each hat probably has no less than 15 hours into it. 

 

Describe your clients.

In terms of hats, I haven’t made any in so long. When I had the shop I had lots of musicians and DJ’s. People with larger than life personas.

 

Where can individuals see your hats?

The show this Friday at the Detroit Artists Market will be the first time in many years I have shown hats. I am really excited for the change. 

 

Do you have a single favorite hat that you have designed?

Not yet. It is always the next one I want to make.

 

What is the most difficult part of what you do?

Focusing.

 

What is the price range of your designs?

Anywhere from $65 to $500.

 

Where have your designs been featured?

I have been in the Detroit Free Press, the Metro Times, Hour. There were so many shows so long ago. I look forward to new ones.

 

Where do you get your materials for your designs?

Anywhere and everywhere. When you come across something exciting you just pick it up. Sometimes it is a dollar store, online, the drug store or more traditional places like Michael’s and JoAnn Fabrics. 

 

What is the biggest misconception about hats?

That they are hard to wear. You put them on and they do the rest. Great hats always attract attention.

 

If you weren’t a designer, what do you envision you would be doing?

I really can’t imagine not making something. 

 

 

For more information on Ericia and her designs visit www.Ericiab.com

 

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