‘People probably think that life is easier for me than it is’ — Influencer Erika Fox on the decade of hard work it took to make it in New York

From living in rodent-infested flats to relying on free food at events, Erika Fox’s start in New York was not a glamorous one. But the Kerry fashion blogger turned influencer – formerly known as Retro Flame – wasn’t afraid of hard work. Now, 10 years on, she enjoys a successful career and shares a beautiful home with her childhood sweetheart

Erika Fox in her New York apartment on the Upper East Side, which she lives in with her fiance Tommy O’Callaghan. Photo: Rose Callahan

Thirty-three floors above New York, the floor-to-ceiling windows of Erika Fox’s apartment wrap dramatically around the entire living room space and provide an unobstructed view across the Upper East Side and Central Park. As Fox makes coffee in the kitchen, I stand in the living room and drink in the view.

The arrangement of walls, glass and angles is high enough up for you to be at eye level with the clouds — if there were any. On this sunny morning in Manhattan, the sky is clear. Formerly known as…