Designer & Owner: Erica Jackson
“There is no recipe or one look that embodies beauty.”
Meet Erica Jackson creator, owner, and designer
for Hi Maintenance Custom Couture
Harlem’s own, Erica Jackson, was bitten by the fashion bug early on in her life. As a child she would make dresses out of her Grandfathers old t-shirts and accessorize with her aunt’s old broken jewelry. So it’s no wonder that she decided to follow her souls compass and start designing. Like Harlem’s legendary Dapper Dan, Erica began her work by making custom pieces for her friends resulting in her launching Hi Maintenance Custom Couture.
The 33 year-old designer, first launched Hi Maintenance as a jewelry company by in 2009 and re launched in 2011. Erica said her friend, Omar Abdullah, is what pushed her to re-launch Hi Maintenance as wholesale and it hasn’t lost steam yet. “I literally walked house to house selling my jewelry and I earned customers via word of mouth and Instagram,” Erica said.
Hi Maintenance’s transition from solely being a jewelry company began after Erica attended a Fashion Fights AIDS event and as inspired to start creating original pieces. “I created a body chain for the coordinator and as I watched the designers have their models strut I realized I wanted to be a part of that. I wanted people to wear my clothes. So I merged my love of jewelry and fashion into a crazy line that people have never seen before and that’s where Hi Maintenance Custom Couture was born,” she recalls. Soon after the show she returned to her grandmother’s old singer and started to make clothing. In 2013, Erica debuted her first collection with N2N entertainment and HM has picked up steam ever since.
It takes a certain type of women to wear the Hi Maintenance (HM) line because Jackson’s designs are bold, sexy and revealing but Erica is quick to point out that “they are not trashy.” She managed to find the balance between bold and revealing. She treads that line very well. Her background as a stylist allows her create pieces that mesh perfectly with her clients. “It’s all about creating what looks best on them and finding a way to make their inner beauty come out.”
What is great about HM is that it is inclusive; Erica designs for all women particularly those with curves. She says, “I aim for women that are ‘Gordy’ (thick) and like to show off their curves.” HM has love for the kids as well. Currently, Jackson designs custom vest and jackets for the little divas and divos. Since she just gave birth to her little diva two weeks ago Jackson is working on a “Mommy and Me and Daddy and Me” line.
As Jackson finds her voice in the fashion world she is learning how to balance being a designer, a business owner and mommy to be. “The fact that I do everything myself from making the clothing to running the business it becomes challenging.” Erica credits her assistant (Sarah Soto) and sisters (Audrey and Tiffany Ramos) for keeping her on track. “They keep me from straying off into what is consider normal or boring.”
Following your dreams is not an easy task and can seem daunting especially when dealing with an industry when you’re hot one moment and cold the next but Erica’s fortitude and dynamic personality will be her keys to success. “I will penetrate the fashion scene.” So be on the look-out for Erica Jackson.