The Gals Behind Eel & Ermine Share Their Perfect-Party Tips (And Recipes!)
Elinor (left) and Evelyne (right) in matching crazy-prints!
After attending a few in-store parties at Presidio Heights shop Eel & Ermine, we assumed that owners Elinor Diamond and Evelyne Aikman would know how to throw-down in a major way off-the-clock, as well. And, boy, were we right! The mega-adorable boutique owners and designers, who met while working at a local bakery, invited us to one of their homes and shared all the key ingredients for achieving dinner-party success. Bonus: It went down around the Season 9 premiere of Project Runway! Check out all the adorableness that ensued (naturally, guests wore stunning Eel & Ermine garb!), find out more about the duo behind the boutique and label, and get their secret recipes after the jump. Who’s ready to party?!
The "Intern! Bring me a Campari!" cocktail: 2 parts Campari, 1 part gin, a splash of fresh orange juice and soda.
You guys seem to have so much in common. How did you meet?
Elinor: “We met while working at a bakery here in San Francisco, and over the last few years, we've definitely discovered a lot of similarities. We both studied art, our birthdays are one day apart, and our families even have some interesting parallels. The most striking thing by far is that we both (independently, before ever meeting each other) faked having broken arms to avoid working at our waitressing jobs. In both cases, each of us skipped work in order to attend events with our boyfriends. Now, we've each been married to these guys for almost four years.”
The delectable spread, including zucchini and goat-gouda quichelets, bacon-jalapeno biscuits with tomato jam, orange-glazed crullers, and zucchini cupcakes with fresh ginger and goat cheese buttercream.
When did you guys decide to launch Eel & Ermine?
Elinor: “We don't remember exactly, but one day in 2009, we found ourselves discussing the creation of not just our own clothing line, but of our ideal shopping experience. We began with the modest hope of making a few online sales, but it turned into a full-time design studio and retail store. Once we found a location, everything else fell into place quickly. A few bits of paperwork, some paint, baked treats for customers, a few bottles of prosecco, and we were in business!”
The hosts and their pretty guests, all decked out in Eel & Ermine wares.
How would you describe Eel & Ermine style?
Elinor: “User-friendly! Since we make everything ourselves, we can provide our customers with the luxury of a great fit and personalized details that make wearing our designs easy. We're always excited to see our clothes on their new owners, because that's when the clothes really take on their final style. And we're surprised daily by the diversity of our clientele. It's such a cool experience to see how each person fills and transforms their Eel & Ermine piece into something uniquely their own. We want our clients to enjoy getting dressed and understand their own body shape and personal style. So, if we make any alterations, we always explain what we're tweaking and why, so that our ladies can make better clothing and fit decisions with other retailers, too.”
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