Erick Lewis considers his style fashion forward.
“I like a slim fit and clean lines, with a pop of graphic prints,” he says. “My current favorite shirts are 100 percent cotton, printed with interesting graphics. I like the way you can dress the shirts up or down. You never need to look boring.”
Erick shows off some of his favorite prints to prove each one is unique. “Here’s a print that surprises with its unusual graphic pattern that looks as if it was drawn freehand.”
A resident of New Orleans since 2006, Erick grew up in Southern California and spent most of his time skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing and playing music. Now, after 10 years in New Orleans working in the fashion retail industry, he says he fits right in to the vibe of the city as a department manager of the ever-popular H&M store in the 400 block of North Peters street in the French Quarter. “Not only is it a good place to work, I find it exciting to see the very latest fashion trends on a day-to-day basis,” he says.
Erick is quick to point out that H & M sells more than clothing for men. “We also have everything to dress a woman or children, and then there’s a big department just for home décor,” he continues. He smiles as he talks about the company’s recycling program: “We accept used clothing and then breakdown the fibers and fabrics to create a completely conservation-conscious recycled line of new clothing.”
With a passion for the fast paced environment of ever-changing fashion trends, he says his great accomplishment in the business has been working his way up from being a part-time associate when he was 17 to being on management teams for several companies.
He still plays music and loves the music scene in New Orleans.
“I continue my passion for music and enjoy playing my guitar,” he says. “This is a great place to live if you enjoy live music and it’s fun to watch the fashion trends that emerge from the music scene.
“I live here for much more than the music,” he adds. “New Orleans is unlike anywhere else in the world. I love the diversity and the abundance of self expression; I love the people; and I love hearing street music. Then there is the interesting culture and the great food. I can’t imagine raising my children anywhere else.”
A resident of Gentilly, he finds the neighborhood just the right place for his young children – Eloise, four-years old, and Clovis, who will be two years old next month – to grow up. Roselle, his wife, nods her head in agreement. “We are definitely part of the post-Hurricane Katrina influx of young professionals who moved to New Orleans after the storm,” Erick says. “Now we are very much part of the new fabric of the city; we are here to stay.”
