Designer: Emma Wallace
Based: Wellington

Designer Emma Wallace launched her eponymous label emma in 2006 and creates distinctive collections that take direction from music, art, and nostalgic memory. Surrounded and inspired by the spirit of creativity and endeavor as she grew up, Emma attended Massey University in Wellington and graduated with a three year diploma in Fashion Design and Technology in 1992. Falling in love with the creative capital she went straight into a design/patternmaking job for classic women's and men's fashion house, Leod Hais. After gaining some very valuable experience she began working privately on a wide range of ready to wear fashion and made to measure commissions.Designer: Emma Wallace
Based: Wellington

Designer Emma Wallace launched her eponymous label emma in 2006 and creates distinctive collections that take direction from music, art, and nostalgic memory. Surrounded and inspired by the spirit of creativity and endeavor as she grew up, Emma attended Massey University in Wellington and graduated with a three year diploma in Fashion Design and Technology in 1992. Falling in love with the creative capital she went straight into a design/patternmaking job for classic women's and men's fashion house, Leod Hais. After gaining some very valuable experience she began working privately on a wide range of ready to wear fashion and made to measure commissions.After taking some time out to have a family, Emma began to explore the applied arts and crafts and then spent four years with award winning designer Zana Feuchs as production manager and assistant in her design studio. With the benefit of extensive expertise and knowledge of the New Zealand fashion industry Emma dipped her feet into the local market with her namesake label and soon built a strong and loyal following. "The diverse, vibrant and eclectic arts scene in Wellington constantly provides me with new ideas and inspiration, the weather builds character and a philosophical outlook on life and living in a relatively small centralized city makes most things (and people) more approachable."

Emma takes care when designing to combine a mix of casual and tailored styles to create succinct modern feminine ranges that appeal to an aesthetic sense rather than an age group.

The brand chooses to reflect trends rather than be driven by them and enjoys using organic cotton knits through to jewel like silks in a season. The summer 08/09 collection 'Picturebook' will be available in 7 stockists throughout New Zealand and while emma is supporting and developing these the label will also be exploring the potential of exporting.

Photo by Michael Ng/Air New Zealand Fashion Week 2008

21/09/08