Utilizing her fashion education, job experience, and love of form, designer Erin Leigh Thompson creates beautiful, purposeful handbags for women on the go with ELT Collective. Fine-grained leathers are carefully selected based on touch, durability, and style, and each bag lining includes a sewn-in wallet.
Thompson honed her skills in the fashion trade through internships and jobs with notable brands, like Lela Rose, Margo Morrison, Sam Edelman, Coach, and Bally. She credits her initial love for leather to her time spent at Bally. 'They had beautiful, structured bags,” she says. 'And, ever since I interned for them, I knew what I wanted to do.” Thompson constructed her first prototypes while living and working in New York City. She moved back to Nashville two years ago and relished the opportunities she found in Music City, a growing indie fashion hub.
'My first piece of advice for anyone wanting to get their business off the ground, especially in fashion, would be to join the Nashville Fashion Alliance,” Thompson says, adding that the group's CEO, Van Tucker, has been a strong supporter since day one. 'She takes creatives and designers from Nashville and unifies everyone.”
Thompson is enrolled in the Sewing Training Academy, a program run by Catholic Charities in collaboration with the Nashville Fashion Alliance and Omega Apparel. Academy courses are suitable for anyone looking to gain skills in order to sew for manufacturing.
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Thompson recently took part in the initial crowdfunding campaign for iFundWomen, a crowdfunding platform that focuses on female entrepreneurs to connect local, women-led businesses with local donors. Nashville's regional partnership with iFundWomen is the first of its kind in the nation. Thompson plans to take the money raised through the iFundWomen campaign to hire a Sewing Training Academy graduate as her first employee. Her hope is to have the bags hand sewn in office. 'Without iFundWomen, I feel like it would be a lot harder for me to get my name out there,” Thompson says.
Thompson notes that she likes modern, minimal style but gets a lot of inspiration from structured, vintage pieces from the 1940s.
'I love the look of boxes and things that can stand alone, where they can look beautiful just putting them on a table,” she says.
The emerging designer's premier collection consists of three versatile pieces: the Division Circle, the Norma Jean, and the Woodland. The Division Circle's unique shape pays homage to vintage hat boxes. The Norma Jean can easily be changed from a clutch to a crossbody. The Woodland can be modified from a backpack to a crossbody. Each purse is available in navy, black, or taupe.
Her creative influences include the classics, each for a different reason. For example, she cites Diane Von Furstenberg for her iconic style and 'girl power” and calls the Hermès brand her 'handbag idol.” Yet, she gains inspiration from everyday people, too. 'I feel like there are so many incredible women out there right now that are working and are moms,” she says. 'It's just so great to get influence from the people around me here in Nashville.”