Eric M. Jenkins

Bio

Eric M. Jenkins was destined to have a future in fashion. Dating back to the 1960s in Pittsburgh, Eric's grandmother broke social barriers and was one of the first black women to be named Ten Best Dressed of Pittsburgh. She was awarded this distinction so often that she was inducted into the Pittsburgh Courier Fashion Hall of Fame. Eric recalled his grandfather, another personal inspiration, having a tie collection that could stretch any human imagination. Indeed, fashion is in Eric's blood.

Eric's early introduction into the fashion world was complemented by his interest in handcrafting woodcarvings, painting, drawing and photography. Often wanting to stand out from the crowd, at age four Eric embraced entrepreneurship and started polishing shoes to jump-start his fashion collection. His sharp eye for distinguishing classic styles versus trends was apparent to all who knew him. As Eric matured, his love of fashion drove him to work for classic fashion giants such as Cole Haan and Barneys New York.

Eric graduated from high school in Chicago and matriculated to Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. At Fisk, a Historically Black College and University, Eric learned more about the social injustices minorities faced and the debillitaing economic implications of these inequities. Armed with this knowledge, after graduating with a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology, Eric resolved to bridge his passion for art and fashion to help alleviate social injustices through the creation of his bowtie line The Art of EMJ.

Managed and operated by the JenkinsCottrell Group, LLC,The Art of EMJ is a multi-faceted art initiative that generates funding to bridge art and imagination with youth. The Art of EMJ strives to fuel the self-esteem of youth while teaching financial prudence to end perpetual financial depravation.