“At the core of my work, there’s a love of narrative and of the inherent style present in its articulation—it’s storytelling across harmonious mediums.”
About Erika
Erika Butler-Jones is a founder, creative director, interior designer, and creative consultant.
An alumna of Harvard University and Parsons School of Design—where she studied history, literature, cultural theory, aesthetics, and fashion—Erika’s intersectional interests culminated in a cum-laude award-winning undergraduate thesis at Harvard, followed by a successful graduate thesis at Parsons, in which she interrogated the politics of the “style icon” as it relates to the historical representation of Black women.
It was during her undergraduate and post-graduate years that Erika channeled her distinct point of view and versatile skillset into The Fashionesta, an online destination that chronicled her personal style and offered opinion editorials on the topics of fashion and culture until 2016. Erika’s writing in this period was featured in Downtown Magazine, Man Repeller, and the International Journal of Fashion Studies, among other publications. She also collaborated with several brands during this time, including Warby Parker.
Following internships at Marie Claire and Moda Operandi, Erika’s experience in fashion’s robust digital editorial realm culminated in a set of unique opportunities that combined the traditional roles of a fashion editor with the creative needs of the digital marketing and e-commerce space. These opportunities included editorial and brand roles at Gilt and DKNY, and it was this mix of experiences that unearthed Erika’s talent for creative direction and editorial brand development.
In 2022, Erika founded EBJ Creative, a boutique creative agency specializing in editorial storytelling. In addition to offering creative direction and consulting services, Erika continues to produce written works, most recently authoring a piece for Elephant on “Break Down & Let It All Out,” an exhibition by mixed-media artist Gavin Benjamin.
A Washington, DC-area native, Erika currently resides in Pittsburgh, PA.
For more on Erika’s interior design practice, visit ELEVEN NINETEEN® Interiors.