Meet Eric Tung: Building FERA in Los Angeles

Betty Tung founded FERA in 1978, at a time when the American ski industry was growing alongside expanding resorts, facilities, and participation. As Eric Tung recalls, the choices available to skiers often fell between inexpensive apparel with mediocre quality and fit, and premium European labels carrying a much higher price tag.

Betty saw room for another option.

With a background in engineering and athletics, along with experience in the clothing business through her father's manufacturing company, she understood both how garments were made and how they needed to perform. FERA became one of the first American skiwear brands to source production in Asia, using a family connection to the factory to offer quality at a more accessible price.

Fit was equally important. Betty recognized that insulated garments could keep skiers warm while still being flattering and comfortable.

A Ski Brand Built Around Fit

From the beginning, FERA approached ski apparel as something that had to work on and off the mountain. Warmth and protection mattered, but so did movement, fit, and how the garment looked on the body.

That philosophy came naturally from Betty's own background. Her experience as an engineer gave her an understanding of construction and function, while her athletic background kept performance at the center of the design process.

The result was a ski brand built around a balance that still defines FERA today: functional clothing that does not feel cumbersome and flattering silhouettes that do not come at the expense of performance.

From the Warehouse to the Family Business

Eric's journey with FERA began long before he became involved in running the company. He grew up around the business, traveling to trade shows and sales meetings and spending summers in the warehouse "taping boxes and picking orders." He also spent plenty of time skiing in the products his family made.

His professional path eventually took him away from the family business. Eric worked in investment banking, including with public and pre-IPO companies, and later spent several years at a dot-com startup. While earning his MBA at UCLA Anderson, he moved back to Los Angeles.

That was when FERA called him back.

In the early 2000s, Eric returned to the family business and eventually took on its management alongside his sister Patty. Their roles brought a new generation into a company they had known since childhood, while the ski industry around them was changing considerably.

Navigating a Changing Ski Industry

FERA's growth during the 1980s and early 1990s was followed by a contraction in the traditional retail landscape. Independent ski shops began closing as owners retired or larger retailers took over their markets. Big-box stores increasingly favored larger mass-market brands, while the cost of participating in skiing kept rising.

Eric describes the experience simply: "Much like the conditions on the mountain, the terrain and course have been variable."

For FERA, adapting to that landscape meant finding new ways to reach skiers without losing the relationships built through traditional retail.

The growth of e-commerce and social media changed that equation. FERA continues to value its retail partners and the service they provide, but the brand also recognizes that many customers do not live close to a ski resort or specialty ski shop.

"So, we have to meet them where they are, which increasingly means digitally," Eric explains.

For a brand that began in an era of specialty ski shops and in-person discovery, that shift has opened another way to connect with customers.

Designing for How Skiers Want to Feel

For Eric, product development starts with a question that sounds simple: "How do you feel in this?"

When a jacket or pair of pants goes onto a fit model or prospective customer, the FERA team looks beyond technical specifications. Ski apparel has to incorporate insulation, protection, and functionality while still allowing the wearer to move freely.

"We are fanatical about the 'feel' of our products," Eric says.

That means creating garments that feel physically light and easy on the body while providing the warmth and protection needed on the mountain.

Appearance is part of that experience, too. FERA designs its garments to flatter the body through shape, fit, and visual details that can create a longer, slimmer silhouette.

The brand also avoids overly gimmicky or trend-driven styling. As Eric puts it, "Good design has always been characterized by a certain simplicity and timelessness."

That approach connects FERA's present-day collections to the thinking that shaped the company from the beginning.

What FERA Means to Eric

For Eric, one of the most rewarding parts of running FERA is seeing someone wear something the company has made.

When he spots a customer wearing a FERA garment, he sometimes asks how they like it. Their response can tell him more than any sales figure.

"When they say 'I love it,' I know we've done our job."

It is a simple measure, but it reflects the philosophy that has followed FERA across generations. The product needs to work on the mountain, feel good on the body, and make the person wearing it feel good.

FERA's Next Chapter

FERA has changed considerably since Betty Tung founded the company in 1978. The retail landscape has shifted, customers now discover products in different ways, and the cost and culture of skiing have evolved. 

The questions at the heart of the brand, however, remain familiar. How should ski clothing feel? How should it fit? And how can warmth and protection coexist with a flattering, timeless tailoring and design?

Under Eric and Patty Tung, FERA continues to explore those questions from Los Angeles, carrying a family business into its next generation while staying connected to the ideas that shaped it from the beginning. 

For the best experience on the slopes, you can shop the FERA ski collection from anywhere in the world.

Read the whole interview with Eric Tung with VoyageLA today.