Subtle. Soft. Beautiful. Clean. Pure.

There is a thread that runs through all that Erica Tanov does, whether it's her women's wear collection, her home wear collection, or the serenity she creates in her stores. It has to do with a sense of well being.

For Erica, design is the process of discovering, or rediscovering, the essential nature of things.

A California native, Erica moved to New York in 1985 to study at Parsons School of Design. After graduating she remained in Manhattan where she first worked for designer Rebecca Moses, and then launched her eponymous collection in 1990. Her earliest pieces, seamed slips and chemises, reflected a dedication to the finest fabrics, meticulous construction, and subtle details. For Erica, quality is more a reflex than a decision. It's second nature, she explains: "I've always been drawn to things that have an enduring beauty, that are well-designed and well-made."

Erica returned to the Bay Area in 1994 to open her first retail store in the building where her grandfather once ran his laundry business. Her store quickly gained a loyal following and was soon moved to a larger space on Fourth Street in Berkeley. In 2010 Erica opened her store in Marin, followed by a store in Los Angeles in 2017.

Erica lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, musician-composer Steven Emerson, and their two children.

The Erica Tanov collections are available at Erica Tanov stores and a handful specialty stores worldwide.