Erik Charlotte VonSosen is a self-taught womenswear designer based in Los Angeles, California.

I first learned to sew at 15 years old, when my grandmother taught me how to operate the machine. Seven years later, I still spend hours in front of the very same machine. Aside from the basics that my grandmother taught me as a teenager, every skill I’ve learned about designing, patterning, and sewing has come from dissecting the garments in the world around me and endless trial and error.

As a designer, I love creating extreme silhouettes with structural corsetry and layering gathered fabrics. I’m enthralled by volume and proportions, as much of my work reflects a juxtaposition of rigid structure and negative space formed by steel-boned corsets, and near-uncontrollable explosions of volume with bubble skirts, tulle, and gathered ruffles. My work is informed by a romantic view of the world where everything has the capacity to be beautiful. I’m inspired by architecture, video game characters, the sea, anatomy, and heartbreak. In short, fashion keeps my heart beating.

As a person, I love playing Pokémon, DJing, collecting vintage lingerie, and listening to electronic R&B music. I’m passionate about transgender advocacy and learning about everything I possibly can. I get excited for any event that gives me an opportunity to dress up. My favorite fabrics at the moment are taffeta, twill, and brocade. I’m currently listening to a lot of Kelela and FKA twigs.