Abi Ferrin

Abi: I may look like a spring chicken but I've been through a few banks before I landed with Austin. I always tell people that I'm an advocate for women disguised as a fashion designer. Ten years ago I moved to Dallas and at the time I came here with next to nothing. By the time I was introduced to Austin, I was really suspicious, "Austin why are you so nice to me? You treat me like I'm one of your richest clients." 
 
And he said, "Because I already see the potential, I know who you're going to be so I'm going to be your banker then too." I was like, "Yes , you are."

Austin: For a numbers guy, Abi's creativity is extremely inspiring to me. Whether it's her style, her brand, her passion and love for other people. 


Abi: I've been playing dress up since I was young, but what I really love is helping women be inspired and empowered both through the way they wear my clothes and then also the people that are actually making the clothes. So the Freedom Project is a program where we work with organizations that rescue women and men out of sex trafficking, and then they give them sustainable jobs. 
 
Each garment that gets sold has a button on the hang tag. 
 


Austin: What Abi's done is amazing and it's taken many, many years, and this doesn't happen overnight. 
 


Abi: So when my product is ready to ship from Nepal, Austin has been really instrumental in making sure that the wire is transferred immediately so that these people can get paid and so that they have sustainable lives, so that they can feed their families. And that my products makes it on time to serve my customers. I feel like I should be on the Origin Bank marketing team because I'm like, "Everybody should bank with Origin." 
 


Austin: Yeah, Abi's doing it the right way, the ethical way and when I see people out in the world wearing Abi's clothing, I always get excited to think that maybe I had a small part in it. 
 


Abi: So I've even used him as a fit model for our male shirt line that we're coming out with. He came in the office to have me sign something and I was like, "Wait a second, you're a perfect medium ." 
 


Austin: That might be outside the bounds of my job description but certainly one of the easiest things I could do. Don't fidget and you won't get pricked with a needle. 
 


Abi: We try not to put acupuncture in those sort of places. ♪ [music] ♪