Everyone’s favorite sisters, Erin and Sara Foster, have launched a capsule collection, Favorite Daughter, with Joe’s. The collection, out today, features a mix of denim and ready-to-wear staples. It’s been a minute since we’ve caught up with the girls so we sent them some questions to get the scoop on their new project and find out what what else they’ve got cooking.
How did this collaboration come about?
Erin: Jennifer from Joe’s actually slid into my DMs! But not for romance, for a collaboration. I told Sara about it, and we both wanted to meet with Jennifer and her team and hear what they were thinking. Turns out Joe’s is run by amazing women who we were so impressed with. We loved their ideas.
Sara: I heard about the collaboration idea through our agent Jean, but Erin just told me she had been DM’ing with the Joe’s team about doing something together, which I didn’t know! Gotta love the power of social media.
Were you at all nervous about what you would bring to the table?
Erin: We’re definitely not designers. But we are also not afraid to learn and embrace a new lane and skillset. We never embark on anything without being fully involved in the back end and all the creative. Any time we work on something, we write it and produce it. The same goes with this process, we had no interest in putting our name or face on something we didn’t create. We always want to learn how to do something new, and never pretend to be experts. We asked a lot of questions and analyzed clothes of ours that we love, so that we could show examples of a shoulder fit we love, a fabric that feels good, a stitch that looks elevated, a jean fit that we’re flattered in. And then create our ideal pieces that we would want for ourselves, and hope if we want them, that means other women must want them too.
Sara: I have so much respect for designers and their hard work and training. They are truly artists and innovators and I in no way put myself in that category. However, we did have a very clear vision of what we wanted included in the collaboration. From the denim washes, to the fit, to the amazing cashmere sweaters, we were very specific.
What are your favorite pieces from the collection and why?
Erin: Personally I am a big sweater person. If I see one cloud in the sky, I’m putting a sweater on. So, the cashmere sweaters are a staple for me. We made them thin and soft so you can wear them without a shirt underneath. Also, the cargo pants are just the best. They’re soft and stretchy and forgiving, and make a casual outfit feel more elevated. Oh, and the Erin jeans in dark blue denim! Okay okay, that’s it, but honestly I really wear it all.
Sara: It’s tough to say because Erin and I were truly given full reign to create the pieces we wanted that were missing from our closet. I have never been able to find a super high waisted white jean that covers my belly button and my cellulite… so I made it! I have always struggled finding a high waisted jean that doesn’t flatten my tush, so we made one that doesn’t! It’s also been my experience that it’s very hard to find great cashmere—that’s so soft you don’t need to wear anything under it—for under $200. So we did that too. I’m honestly so proud of all of it.
Was there anything you wanted to do that the brand said no to?
Erin: I can’t explain how many times they said “Yes”. Any idea we had, anything we wanted to add late, a color that we decided in the middle of the night that didn’t make sense, a fit that we wanted to adjust, a stitch color that wasn’t exactly how we expected…anything we wanted to change, they said we will make it happen. Even the billboard that’s up on La Cienega right now! We did the shoot in my backyard, with no professional hair and makeup, with our friend Carlos as the photographer, and when we saw the photos i cropped two of them together and said “This is the billboard!”. One month later, that’s exactly what the billboard is. They understand something that a lot of brands don’t. If you hire someone for their vision, and their personality, and their perspective, you have to let them implement it. They are never afraid of our senses of humor coming through. They embrace it. That’s why I think this is going to work.
Sara: Working with all the women at Joe’s has been a dream. Yes, I said women because it’s all women. Our team, from the president to the head of marketing, to our designer, to our technical designer, to the head of production, are all female! They are the most collaborative group of people I have ever worked with and truly said no to nothing.
How much denim do you own?
Erin: I think I’m the same as most women; I stand in front of my closet staring at 50 pairs of basically the same jeans and say, “I hate all my jeans”. My body changes a lot, I’m a big fluctuater—I know that’s not a real word! And I tend to only want to buy jeans when I feel fit. So, then when I’ve been in quarantine for six months and don’t fit into any of those, I feel shitty. I intentionally designed very forgiving denim, that won’t push your sides in and make you feel bad. I made jeans that will make you feel good.
Sara: My husband jokes that we could buy an apartment in NYC if I sold all my jeans. That’s obviously an exaggeration, but not far off. I have never spent money on staple pieces unfortunately. I’m a total creature of habit and live in denim. And no matter how many pairs I have, I’m always looking for a better pair. We truly made the denim that I don’t have.
Do you have any particular denim pet peeves?
Erin: I don’t love obviously trendy denim. I like a timeless denim that I can still wear in five years. I hate an obvious fade, or tears that look manufactured. And I truly hate denim that has an unforgiving waist band. I wasn’t blessed with a waist that curves in where you want it to. I have one of those lovely short torsos. I don’t need my jeans reminding me of that.
What is your favorite bad denim trend?
Erin: I miss boot cut jeans! They were so much simpler. You could wear basically any shoe. But I guess that’s because shoes aren’t important when your jeans already tell everyone you have no style lol.
Sara: Personally, I can’t handle stiff denim. I don’t care how cute a pair is, if they’re a pain to put on I will not wear them ever. But then denim that is too soft isn’t flattering and doesn’t hold you in. We were very focused on coming up with a soft denim that also contains the love handles and lifts the butt. My personal dream for denim.
What is your greatest denim shame?
Erin: Listen, I’ve had many years of fashion fails. I wouldn’t say I was always a trend setter. I became friends with all these girls in my twenties who worked in fashion, and they made it very clear they had no interest in borrowing anything from me. But I learned slowly but surely. I used to buy a lot of super cheap denim that was too tight, like where you could see the outline of the pockets. No one asked to borrow those.
Sara: I’m really not into a low-rise. No butt cracks please. I’m also not into a low/mid-rise cropped flare. I know that’s specific, but I’ve never been into that. Is a “mom jean” a bad trend? It’s so funny because men can’t stand mom jeans on women, but I love seeing them on women. I think they are so chic. I used to wear cut-off denim shorts with tights. I still think it’s cute, but was shamed by people for that. I was also very guilty in the early 2000s of wearing the low-riders with cropped tops. I mean talk about UN-CHIC. I am horrified by most photos of me from 2001-2007.
Any other brands you’d love to collaborate with?
Erin: Absolutely. We are new at this, and want to align with friendly brands who will help us nail down different categories that they know well. We’re working on a few now that I’m excited about, but I’m not sure if I’m allowed to blow up their spot yet. Fine, it’s Chanel!!! Just kidding.
What are you working on right now outside the fashion space?
Erin: We have an overall deal at Disney, where we are developing a handful of shows we are very excited about. One that I am writing, others that we are producing. We also have been investing in and working with companies like Bumble, Mirror, and Bev that we are always focusing on, traveling for (when there isn’t a pandemic), and thinking of ways to contribute to brand awareness and creative ideas for them to stay in the conversation. Oh, and I’m trying to get pregnant. That’s the most important project.
Sara: Creating, writing, producing, and starring in Barely Famous gave us the platform we have today. That is and will always be our passion. We have an overall TV deal at 20th/Disney where we are developing a ton of stuff. Erin is writing a show for her to star in that I’m producing and we have a bunch of other shows we are beyond excited about all in different stages of development. We are equally busy with all of our investments which has become a big piece of the pie for us. We became heads of creative of Bumble in 2017 and have since taken on advisory roles with female-founded companies we believe in. We really have our hands in a lot of different gloves right now, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. In my twenties, I used to dream about being busy like this and never thought it would happen: when you wake up every day grateful for being busy and overwhelmed.
What are you just loving the shit out of right now and why?
Erin: My husband! We got married right before the world fell apart and I just got really lucky with him. Nothing is more important than getting into bed with him, a bottle of wine, and a bad reality show. That’s living your best life.
Sara: Honestly, I’m loving the shit out of my daughters right now and always. This year has been hard on everyone and the time working from home and being with them 24/7 is beautiful. We are always all going a million miles an hour and this time where we have all slowed down and taken inventory of our priorities and what’s important is a time I won’t forget.
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