KF colleague spotlight / Erik Haig
You started at KF in 2011. What led to you the showroom, and how were you involved in the industry prior?
My foray into the design industry started in 1999 with a lucky chance to be a junior design/office assistant for architect and designer Tim Barber, when he had only a team of 4-5 on Sunset Plaza. I had no design education at that point, but at a friend’s recommendation, I started taking interior design courses at UCLA Extension. I worked with Tim for nearly a decade, then stepped away from the industry for a couple of years and explored commercial property management, only to soon realize that I missed the world of design far too much. I was fortunate to respond to a blind ad for a Management Assistant at a design showroom in the PDC, which ended up being Kneedler Fauchère – the position seemed to match perfectly with my experience in design, project management, and office administration. I was interviewed by Mary Hays and Gina DeWitt and we hit it off instantly. 13 years later, and I’m still here!
In 2016 you decided to go back to school while working full-time at KF. What spurred this desire for you? And how in the heck did you manage the tricky juggle of school demands and a very full workload?
I didn’t take the traditional path that some people do. I started and stopped my education at various points in my life because, well, “life happens” right? In the end, I think it behooved me to follow my heart and do what felt right as I went. I decided to go back to school in 2016 to finish my undergraduate studies and I chose a degree in business. I felt I had enough life experience at that point and a business degree felt like it applied not only to what I was doing at KF but also to any other path I might choose later. I was extremely fortunate that my husband, Ty, also chose to go back to school at the same exact time, pursuing the same exact degree I did – we literally sat next to each other in class. He was the best support system I could have asked for, and we got each other through those years. In fact, we were energized by the entire experience – our education was much more meaningful at that stage in our lives and we could apply everything we were learning to the real world work we were doing. Immediately after we earned our bachelor’s degrees, we jumped right into a postgraduate program – side by side again – spending another year pursuing Master of Science in Organizational Leadership degrees. By the end of February 2020, we had 2 degrees each under our belt, and I wouldn’t have done it any other way.
With your master’s degree in hand, you approached the KF team and proposed a new position in marketing. This evolved into your current role as the Director of Marketing for all three KF showrooms. What need/opportunity did you see, and how has the position evolved over time?
KF had recently completed a rebranding in 2017 which helped me see the company in a whole new way – it was a very exciting time and our new look felt much more reflective of who our teams were, not to mention who our designer clients were. At the same time, I was studying marketing as I was working on my degrees, and as they say – the stars aligned. I loved learning about the strategy and creativity that makes for good marketing, and I wanted to be a part of growing that at KF. After serving as the LA showroom’s Management Assistant for 10 years, I felt I was ready to take on a new challenge. So, when I finished school in 2020, I took a deep breath and asked for the job – and it worked! Our showrooms represent the very best in the industry, and it only felt right that we should have a dedicated person to spearhead our own marketing efforts on behalf of our partner brands.
In the last four years, the position has evolved beyond promoting our partners and the beautiful collections and products we are so proud to represent by becoming much more steeped in KF’s culture. Kneedler Fauchère is one-of-a-kind and investing time & resources in our own brand has been invaluable. For example: 2023 was KF’s 75th anniversary, and a large part of my role was documenting that milestone through a series of digital campaigns, researching for and then assembling a 75th Yearbook, and building a layered display/exhibition in our LA showroom which then led to a documentary short that we created. It was a fascinating journey that I will forever take pride in being a part of. Also, in the last few years, I have been one of the players in developing and promoting Kneedler Fauchère’s Rocky LaFleur Scholarship Fund – a true privilege because I had the pleasure of working with Rocky for 10 years before his passing.
The joy, passion, and soul that Rocky brought to work every day is something I’ll never forget
and absolutely fuels me today. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to honor his memory through KF’s scholarship, and to be a very small part of nurturing the future of our industry.
What is your favorite thing about your role at KF?
Hands down, my favorite thing is the relationships and highlighting people and their stories. And that includes everyone - from my own colleagues to our exceptional supplier partners, to the craftspeople and artisans behind the collections that inspire us all. And of course, KF’s founders and origin story. I love that I work for such a special company surrounded by so many remarkable and inspirational people. What we do is fun! Design is fun! In the day-to-day we can lose sight of that, but there is so much positive energy in our industry, and it is very rewarding to be a conduit for that.
Tell us a bit about what’s on the horizon for KF. What can we expect to see in the months ahead?
Following KF’s milestone anniversary last year, our sister company, Gregorius Pineo, is celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2024! KF will continue to commemorate that and promote GP’s visionary new collection through the remainder of the year. Fall Collections are also on the horizon, as are plans for Paris 2025 – another beloved tradition and hallmark of Kneedler Fauchère’s that I am fortunate to be a part of. Beyond that, I am certain that KF will continue to serve as an anchor for our industry while also finding new ways to lead, educate, and inspire. And I am proud to support our showroom teams in doing so – they are truly the ones who make Kneedler Fauchère shine.
RAPID FIRE
What’s your favorite time of day?
I’m most productive in the morning, but I would say my favorite time of the day is late afternoon “golden hour” – especially in Autumn. And if you pair that with sunset at the beach, that’s my idea of heaven.
What song can you listen to on repeat?
I am a musicophile so it would be impossible to pick one song. Being a late Generation X baby, I have a nostalgic fondness for synth-pop, (think Depeche Mode, New Order, A-ha)…I’ll never tire of it.
Who or what makes you smile the most?
My husband – he’s put up with me for 20 years after all!
Define yourself in three words.
Introspective, imaginative, hopeful.
What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve done in your life?
Riding a camel in the Agafay Desert just outside of Marrakesh in Morocco. The experience was only made more surreal by a double rainbow that appeared during the trek – it was pure magic.
Who would you hire to design your own home?
I am a Los Angeles native and have always had a love affair with Spanish architecture. I love the home that Stephen Shadley worked on for Ryan Murphy, and Studio Shamshiri’s interiors are genius – who wouldn’t love to have a home designed by that powerhouse team?
What makes you laugh?
Drag queens! The world would be so dull without them.
Best compliment you ever received?
My former employer & mentor, Tim Barber, once called me a “velvet hammer”, because I always got the job done but with a gentle touch. I’ve always thought that was such a considerate and clever read.
What did 10-year-old Erik dream of doing?
I had a variety of aspirations before my teen years – several of them involved performance and the arts. I was a boy soprano growing up and even played the lead in a Christmas opera. Now, I typically avoid the spotlight and can’t imagine myself ever being on a stage like that again, but I am glad I have still found my way to be creative.
