The fabulous Kerin Rose
Yummie Tummie met the talented and stylish designer Kerin Rose when she created the stunning eyewear looks for the Yummie Tummie City of Hope fashion show this spring. Of course, we were already fans of her dazzling and bedazzled eyewear line A-Morir, as worn by fashion icons like Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Kanye, Katy Perry, Adam Lambert, and so many more!
To know Kerin is to love her — and to want to hang out and talk about glitter, fashion, finding your true calling, and of course, dishing on all of those celebrities! Below we share the fun with you!
Thanks for chatting with us! We’d love to start by having you describe your work for the Yummie readers.
Well I was working in a boutique, and I really wanted sparkly glasses. There were none, so I made them.
That’s just like how Heather Thomson created the Yummie Tummie! You saw a need, and you filled it!
This all happened by accident. I didn’t get a degree in design, it wasn’t in my life plan, but I’ve always been really sparkly. And now I can pay my rent doing this! I like to say it legitimizes my glitter.
How did you start designing?
I had a long professional career in marketing. And then I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, and was actively ill for 9 years. When it went into remission, I decided to do what I really loved, and get my Masters in Costuming History.
The eyewear took off at the same time, and I wound up dropping out to do this full time.
And now you’re a “professional bedazzler” – we love that!
Yes, my glasses are pretty and flashy and sparkly, and turn everyone into a magpie. And every pair is different.
I’m not a fan of doing things that have been done. I try to do things I haven’t seen before, reappropriate materials, and use things that shouldn’t be used on eyewear. But not in a dangerous way!
Why do you think your eyewear is so popular?
I think the thing that compels people, specifically in the celebrity realm, is that no other designer is doing this right now. Yeah, Elton John created and retired unique eyewear, but no one does this in my generation.
Celebrities, especially the caliber I work with, see everything from the front row. They recognize the uniqueness, the quality, that I use the best materials, and that it’s all hand made. People have said that I do “factory perfect” work — when you put that combination together, people respond to it.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I get it from everywhere. I look for materials all the time. I might find frames and say, what can I do to this to make it better, or find some pieces and say, “Let me find a frame to put these on.” And I like to use things that are used for art, but in new and different ways.
The Yummie Tummie City of Hope Fashion Show
I’m friends with the stylist who worked on the Yummie Tummie City of Hope Fashion Show. She pitched my eyewear to Yummie Tummie, and they loved it. I did 30 pairs of nude pave’ eyewear for the show. It was really amazing to see so many pairs of glasses worn at the same time in one place!
What are your thoughts about fashion becoming more fabulous, (e.g. Lady Gaga) and more functional at the same time?
I think that it’s wonderful and it’s about time! It’s something I strive for in my work as well. You shouldn’t have to decide between the two – fashionable vs. comfortable, or how you look vs. how you feel.
There is a phenomenal dress in the Yummie Tummie collection that I saw at the fashion show — black with these shoulders, and the shaping built in. I’ve been wearing girdles as outwear, bras as outwears for years. They can do both: hold up the boobies, and look really cool!
People always ask if you can see through my glasses, and answer is yes, of course! I want you to have cool, really unique eyewear, that you can really use. That’s the entire purpose of them.
You have so many celebrity fans of A-Morir. Who are some of your favorites?
Rihanna and I had a nice friendship, even though we haven’t seen each other, in a while. When we met, I really appreciated the fact that she had this unbridled excitement. And when she heard that we were going to be in Italian Vogue, she picked up the phone and called to make sure I knew — she was unbelievably supportive, and instrumental in speeding up the rate of people knowing about the eyewear.
I recently met Katie Perry and she’s an absolute doll. Adam Lambert is a total sweetheart, and very good-looking in person!
Estelle and Kid Sister went from being clients to being friends, they’re two of my favorite people. And Lady Gaga is very enthusiastic, very genuine.
What else is on the horizon for you?
I’m so busy with A-Morir, but my sister and I started We Love Your Guts, a non-profit to help to raise awareness and rebrand problems with your guts. No one thinks it’s ok to talk about it, but it affects so many people. Something I’d love to work on more in the near future is figuring out how we can partner with some other cool brands – Marc Jacobs also has ulcerative colitis, so that’s a natural fit – and help as many people as possible.
Win these A-Morir designer sunglasses!
Be as stylish as an A-List Celeb, win your very own pair of A-Morir by Kerin Rose sunglasses, from the Yummie Tummie City of Hope Fashion Show! Visit our Facebook page to enter!
