“ROUND + SQUARE is a conscious fashion brand powered by my values and vision to bring together style, substance, and sustainability in support of gender equality. DESIGNED WITH PASSION, DRIVEN BY VALUES is our Mission Statement! As a designer and entrepreneur, I question every step of the supply chain and look for modern and clean sustainable alternatives—so our customers have the guarantee of the best quality products, done under the highest ethical, environmental and social standards. It’s only natural that our hashtag is #IWEARCAUSEICARE.“
“Henriette Ernst’s idea to spread thoughtful and informative messages of equality through fashion was initially sparked by frustration. A veteran designer, she had grown disheartened by what she saw as a lack of support for women and girls on the industry’s part. Inspired by the work of the organization Equality Now, she decided to develop Round + Square founder on fighting for women’s rights through fashion - a conscious fashion brand focused on style, substance and sustainability. Each piece sold by the company, including t-shirts, bandanas and pins, promotes a message of peace, prosperity and gender equality and is crafted using ethical labor.”
"We’re about promoting equality and empowerment through beautiful, sustainable designs," Ernst says. "Even though we’re heavily focused on women’s rights, and we donate 10% of our sales profits to Equality Now Org., we know that equal rights are necessary for everyone. At ROUND + SQUARE, we do not take the #EqualPower and #Hope in our designs lightly."
"Henriette Ernst’s idea formed over the summer, after a fateful walk in Lower Manhattan with her Morkie, an ewok-like cross between a Yorkshire terrier and a Maltese. She was joined by a neighbor she’d recently met named Yasmeen Hassan, a human-rights lawyer and global executive director for Equality Now. Over the course of a couple of hours, the two talked about many of the issues Hassan works on: rape cases, genital mutilation, child marriage, education for girls. Ernst became increasingly agitated by the discussion—and energized. “I said, ‘You know what? Maybe I can do something,’ ” she recalls. “ ‘Maybe I can make coffee for your organization, or organize an event, or be a volunteer.’ ”
"And, perhaps most crucially, he’s loaded the team with talent from the luxury sector. Henriette Ernst, the senior vice-president of women’s design, for example, was a designer at Dries Van Noten and worked in fab- ric development for Jil Sander and Calvin Klein before moving on to Céline, where she collaborated with Phoebe Philo."
"So when news broke that the crowd favorite, Joe Fresh, found its new Senior Vice President in Henriette Ernst, who previously lent her talents to Céline, there was a collective jump for joy. Ernst told Women's Wear Daily it's too soon to say what her influence will be, but acknowledges something everyone can get on board with -- comfort is key. "I really like good, comfortable, casual clothes with beautiful elevated colors and perfect fit," she told the site."
"A fresh creative hire at Joe Fresh: Henriette Ernst has been named SVP of women’s design at the Canadian brand. Most recently, Ernst was VP and women’s design director chez Calvin Klein Collection; she was at the label since January 2012. Before Calvin Klein, Ernst was at Céline for two years as head designer of fabric and material development, working closely with Phoebe Philo. Ernst also spent three years prior to Céline as head of fabric and material development at Jil Sander. Before that, she was at Dries Van Noten for two years as a senior designer. She also worked at Strenesse for nearly four years. Ernst attended Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp."
"I really like good comfortable casual clothes with beautiful elevated colors and perfect fit," she says."
"ZEITmagazin: Was hat Ihre Arbeit am meisten beeinflusst? Ernst: Meine Herkunft. Das rebellische und anarchische Berlin der siebziger und achtziger Jahre hat mich geprägt. Auch die zeitlose Schlichtheit und der handwerkliche Perfektionismus der Bauhaus-Schule, die in meiner Familie eine große Rolle spielte."
"And, perhaps most crucially, he’s loaded the team with talent from the luxury sector. Henriette Ernst, the senior vice-president of women’s design, for example, was a designer at Dries Van Noten and worked in fab- ric development for Jil Sander and Calvin Klein before moving on to Céline, where she collaborated with Phoebe Philo."