SEE ROSE GO: Erin Cavanaugh – Fashion Entrepreneur

Clothing should be functional, versatile and beautiful.

Motivated by a need for quality, fit and style, Hoboken resident and fashion entrepreneur Erin Cavanaugh and her business partner spearheaded the launch of See Rose Go—a collection of crafted designs, at a moderate price point for women sizes 14-24.

hMAG recently spoke with Cavanaugh about See Rose Go, women’s fashion and life in Hoboken…

hMAG: What inspired you to take on plus-size fashion?

Erin Cavanaugh – My partner Yi Zhou and I had been working in the corporate world together for nine years, myself as a merchandising director and Yi as a design director. We started thinking we wanted to do more, but wanted to avoid making white noise product. We knew we wanted to build toward a solution in the fashion industry, contributing something of value.

The real catalyst was a casual afternoon conversation with a friend about fashion. It was during this conversation that our friend, who wears plus-size, said “you have no idea what it’s like to live in my body.” We talked about her experiences getting dressed in the morning and that poor wardrobe options can effect her emotionally as she was trying to get out the door, making her late or even setting off negative vibes for the rest of the day. This really struck Yi and I both very emotionally. No matter what you look like, all women have enough challenges within their day-to-day. If women wearing plus size clothing are lacking effortless style options to get dressed and get out the door to accomplish their day – this was a problem. We kept the conversation going and started reaching out to more women. At first, it was with friends then friend-of-friend and colleagues, and eventually meeting with women recommended by the community we were growing. We spoke with many women, all sharing with us their perspective on fashion, what was missing, what they wanted. During these conversations we learned that this is how we can actually create something worth being created and make a contribution using our experience with apparel.

h: Are there specific unmet needs in the market that SEE ROSE GO addresses?

EC: Every woman we spoke with brought up similar themes of wanting better quality and construction, a considered fit and versatile style. We keep her and these needs at the very center of everything we do and made sure our brand ethos was built on what she told us directly. Our ethos is all about her and her desire for quality, fit and style! Right now there is a spectrum in the plus size clothing market, it’s either fast-fashion / lower-quality options or expensive designer and nothing in-between. See Rose Go is that needed fashion option of considered design with cool-girl effortless style, offered at a moderate price point.

h: How long have you lived in Hoboken and how has Hoboken impacted your designs?

EC: My husband and I moved to Hoboken nine years ago and have since added three children. Living here has a major impact on the designs and meaning of See Rose Go. The brand is all about modern women and supporting ambitions, there is always a goal you want to accomplish, something to cross off the list, try, or die trying. Your clothing needs to work for you as you pursue your passion. Living in Hoboken and working in the city, I left the house very early, I learned to be ready for what the day to night may bring. This mentality is reflected in our designs. We launched with The Signature Collection, which feature versatile pieces meant to be dressed up or down, showcasing your personality and style. These pieces can go from your flight, to meetings, happy hour then brunch the next day. We demand so much from everything around us, we should expect more from our clothing – these designs are meant to work!

Another Hoboken lesson can be seen in the material we choose. I have a 20 minute walk to the Path. I enjoy the time to myself and use it to call family in California or just listen to music and think. There may or may not be some sweating involved or occasional coffee spill. I do not want to dry clean everything I wear – I need functional clothing that is quality, easy to care for AND looks great. This was a deliberate consideration when selecting fabrics for the collection. The designs are created with quality material that is either machine washable or easily touched up with spot cleaning.

Lastly, The entrepreneurial spirit in Hoboken helped encourage me to create my own business. My husband has a company called Grapeful and through his local partnerships, I was able to see first-hand small Hoboken business owners connect and support one another. I never knew how many businesses were being run out of Hoboken! Connecting with new and diverse people has been very inspiring to me to get out there and make it happen.

To learn more, visit seerosego.com.

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