Eri Matsui was born in 1952 in Aichi Prefecture. She studiedfine arts and design. After, she continued those studies and also took part in graphic design. Matsui began designing her clothing in Chicago after her husband was transferred there. She attended William Rainey Harper College where she found her interest in fashion design. She spent six years in Chicago, working and designing clothes. After, she returned to Japan where she started her own company. Matsui had studios in Tokyo, and Paris. Her designs and clothing showed up in Tokyo Collection in the mid-1990s and has remained a constant there.