Fall 2014
Alumni Profiles
Sock It to Her: Erica Easley ’00 Finds Footwear Success
Easley didn’t always dream of running a sock company, but her personal style (the native Californian says her “uniform” is shorts and knee socks) led her to notice a hole in the industry. During the 2008 presidential election she decided that the best way to show her patriotism was through her signature accessory. Wanting to support Obama but unable to find any suppliers of presidential-themed socks, Easley designed a pair with “Obama” written in big letters down the sides. Her first order was for 1,200 pairs (the smallest batch the manufacturer would produce) and, after quickly selling out in stores in Los Angeles and at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Easley launched a fledgling business.
Los Angeles-based Gumball Poodle has seen terrific growth since those 1,200 Obama socks and now has more than 80 designs. Customers range from roller derby leagues and CrossFit competitors to comic enthusiasts and teachers. Easley jokes, “Everybody has to wear socks sometime, so it’s a good industry to be in.”
The company sold more than 250,000 pairs in 2013 and expects to double that in 2014. With availability in roughly 400 stores worldwide, Gumball Poodle socks have been featured in media from Marie Claire to The Huffington Post. In December 2013, Beyoncé wore a pair in her “Pretty Hurts” video, dancing in glittery gold socks emblazoned with the word “gangsta.”
“Never in my wildest dreams did I expect that essentially the biggest pop star in the world [would] be wearing my socks — that’s incredibly gratifying,” Easley says.
Easley, an English major, chose Columbia for the combination of the big city benefits of attending school in New York City and the personal attention promised by small classes. She cites courses taught by University Professor Simon Schama and David Eng, as well as Robert G. O’Meally’s “Jazz and American Culture,” as particularly influential. She also says that although she didn’t major in business, running a company comes naturally to her thanks to the College: “Columbia, with its rigorous course load and high expectations for its students, is a great training ground for being able to juggle information and have your mind be able to move quickly between different subjects.”
Easley’s English degree has come in handy, as she has developed a knack for choosing words that people want to wear. Her socks cover themes such as food and drink (pizza, vegan, whiskey), learning (math, science, bookworm) and lifestyle (boss lady, nerd, punk rock). “I’m always looking for words that sound good,” she says. “Examples are ‘beer’ or ‘bacon,’ which are very much on-trend right now. There’s a huge craft beer movement, and people are just bonkers about bacon. But they’re also really fun words; they’re fun to say.”
Fun is a constant at Gumball Poodle, which now has four full-time staff members. The company name comes from Easley’s collection of vintage toy poodle decor and an antique gumball machine she keeps in her apartment. Andy Windak, the company’s graphic designer, says that Easley’s love of vintage clothing and design are reflected in the socks’ old-school vibe. Describing the brand as bold, kitschy and iconic, he says, “Her design sense is coordinated loudness. It tries to make a statement — as do our socks.”
Says Easley, “I’m really proud of the fact that I got an English degree and can still be successful in business; getting a science degree doesn’t mean you have to be a scientist, getting a humanities degree doesn’t mean you have to be a struggling poet. … You can turn your degree and educational experience into anything you want, and the most important thing is just love of learning and an inquisitive mind.”
Anne-Ryan Heatwole JRN’09