I don't know about you, but I'm always looking for new places to buy clothes and accessories that are affordable. I like to buy items that are different and I like to buy from companies that seem to really care about their customers. A new brand that I've come across that are just amazing and a complete breathe of fresh air is Emi. Emi is an ethical and fair trade brand that really prides itself on being green! A lot of their products are hand made and some are even made from recycled goods! So, being so environmentally friendly must mean the products aren't that nice right? WRONG! Their bohemian inspired jewellery is absolutely beautiful and has a real unique touch! This gorgeous vintage inspired Nikon Camera Necklace is one of my favourite jewellery pieces that Emi has...
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| So Pretty for only £7! |
Another is this Alice in Wonderland inspired rabbit necklace...
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| A gorgeous accessory for just £12! |
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| LBD with a twist! |
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| One of my favourites! The hooded black dress, P Diddy style! |
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| Stunning purple dress! |
Lorna: When did you discover your passion for fashion?
Xander: I have always been interested in fashion, I know it’s something that designers always say...but it is true. I have never really followed it to the T though, I have always been slightly different and I love to put my own spin on things.
I guess I have always enjoyed dressing up and it was this love of how the different clothes made me feel that really started my interest in fashion.
L: What would you say are the key trends for this spring/summer?
X: Well, we have brought you something different for our 2011 collection. We have stuck to a monotone pallet and have used purple and red accent colours. We like to be a bit different at EMI, and yet show off our fashionista side. We look a lot to Asia for inspiration and have gone with bodycon structured pieces instead of the classic “hippy” trend that always seems to be churned out year upon year. Our 2011 collection is about empowering yourself as a woman and dressing in confidence.
L: What is your favourite item that EMI sell?
X: Alan has produced one helluva jewellery collection this year...although, as I am slightly biased, I do love The Hood Dress that is due to launch over the next few months. It’s a slate grey cowl neck that can be worn 3 ways. It’s sleeveless and comes with a detachable turtle neck with thumbholes. It can either be worn as a cowl neck, off the shoulder or with the hood up. That’s 3 looks all out of one dress!
L: On your site you mention that you use recycling to make some of your jewellery, what exactly does this mean?
X: Well, in the UK your typical high street stores (and I won’t name any names here) tend to have a lot of slow moving lines each season. These lines are usually disposed of by means of incineration or they are sent to landfill, which in my eyes is such a waste! We sourced a supplier that takes this end of line jewellery and buys it from these retailers. We then purchase the stock from them, work some of our magic on them and then launch them as *new* recycled jewellery.
We love anything green and can’t stand the thought of all of this waste in the fashion world. We are currently working with a range of new suppliers and plan to expand our recycled range later on in the future.
L: Who is your market?
X: Our target audience is around 90/10% split women to men. We design for all ages really, and design for people with a love of fashion & who are interested in ethical issues.
At a jewellery show we attended last year we had a lady in her 80’s purchase one of our Disc Necklaces...we really do design for all ages!
L: Tell us more about EMI agents?
X: This is a new platform we are currently working on where we will guide anyone interested in starting up their own jewellery business. We will provide the raw materials you will need to launch your own business. So, as an example you want to host your own jewellery party one night. For a small fee we will grant you access to our members only section of the website. We will post all available stock QTY’s we have on new ranges that we are working on in the members section. You then select the jewellery you want to sell at your party and send us an order.
We then sell the jewellery to you at wholesale cost. We will provide you with materials such as jewellery pouches, business cards, selected POS and so on. You then host your party and sell at your own discretion. EMI agents is different to becoming a stockist as we guarantee to buy back any jewellery that is unsold within a certain time period, so the risk to you is minimal. Whereas becoming a stockist you wouldn’t necessarily fork out expenses before hand as we can sell our collection at sale or return. You just take a cut of the profit of any item sold. EMI agents is more about a quick turnaround time frame and fast moving stock.
Your clothing range is out late April, what can we expect?
X: We have been posting sneak preview shots on our site & on our fan page on Facebook. Our collection is structured, bodycon, monochrome & chic. Think high waist skirts, puff ball sleeves and cowl necks. Then throw in black, white, purple & red accents et voila!
Why do you feel it is important to be an ethical fashion label?
It’s really important! We can’t continue to live in this throwaway society and not care what happens to the planet after we are gone. As a designer for the brand, I am always thinking to the future and wondering “what if...?”
We have to understand where our clothes come from. They don’t just magically appear on the rack in the shop, someone, somewhere has painstakingly made that garment and in some cases made it under horrendous working conditions. We are so fortunate to have born into a culture where we have the choice to do what we want. Some people on the planet aren’t as lucky as us, and I want to be able to provide a voice for them via fair trade and ethical clothing. At the end of the day, I am designing for a cause and not just a garment.
So as you can see Xander, along with the team at Emi, are really passionate about their products and the way its made! They really are a unique fashion line with some beautiful products so you should definitely check them out! Here's the link to their website: www.ethical-emi.com You can also follow them on facebook Facebook.com/EthicalEmi and twitter Twitter.com/Ethical_Emi! Also check out their blog: www.ethical-emi.blogspot.com!
Speak to you all soon! I'm going to see Justin Beiber tonight in the o2! oh and I also lost another phone!
Much Love
Lorna xoxox
Xander: I have always been interested in fashion, I know it’s something that designers always say...but it is true. I have never really followed it to the T though, I have always been slightly different and I love to put my own spin on things.
I guess I have always enjoyed dressing up and it was this love of how the different clothes made me feel that really started my interest in fashion.
L: What would you say are the key trends for this spring/summer?
X: Well, we have brought you something different for our 2011 collection. We have stuck to a monotone pallet and have used purple and red accent colours. We like to be a bit different at EMI, and yet show off our fashionista side. We look a lot to Asia for inspiration and have gone with bodycon structured pieces instead of the classic “hippy” trend that always seems to be churned out year upon year. Our 2011 collection is about empowering yourself as a woman and dressing in confidence.
L: What is your favourite item that EMI sell?
X: Alan has produced one helluva jewellery collection this year...although, as I am slightly biased, I do love The Hood Dress that is due to launch over the next few months. It’s a slate grey cowl neck that can be worn 3 ways. It’s sleeveless and comes with a detachable turtle neck with thumbholes. It can either be worn as a cowl neck, off the shoulder or with the hood up. That’s 3 looks all out of one dress!
L: On your site you mention that you use recycling to make some of your jewellery, what exactly does this mean?
X: Well, in the UK your typical high street stores (and I won’t name any names here) tend to have a lot of slow moving lines each season. These lines are usually disposed of by means of incineration or they are sent to landfill, which in my eyes is such a waste! We sourced a supplier that takes this end of line jewellery and buys it from these retailers. We then purchase the stock from them, work some of our magic on them and then launch them as *new* recycled jewellery.
We love anything green and can’t stand the thought of all of this waste in the fashion world. We are currently working with a range of new suppliers and plan to expand our recycled range later on in the future.
L: Who is your market?
X: Our target audience is around 90/10% split women to men. We design for all ages really, and design for people with a love of fashion & who are interested in ethical issues.
At a jewellery show we attended last year we had a lady in her 80’s purchase one of our Disc Necklaces...we really do design for all ages!
L: Tell us more about EMI agents?
X: This is a new platform we are currently working on where we will guide anyone interested in starting up their own jewellery business. We will provide the raw materials you will need to launch your own business. So, as an example you want to host your own jewellery party one night. For a small fee we will grant you access to our members only section of the website. We will post all available stock QTY’s we have on new ranges that we are working on in the members section. You then select the jewellery you want to sell at your party and send us an order.
We then sell the jewellery to you at wholesale cost. We will provide you with materials such as jewellery pouches, business cards, selected POS and so on. You then host your party and sell at your own discretion. EMI agents is different to becoming a stockist as we guarantee to buy back any jewellery that is unsold within a certain time period, so the risk to you is minimal. Whereas becoming a stockist you wouldn’t necessarily fork out expenses before hand as we can sell our collection at sale or return. You just take a cut of the profit of any item sold. EMI agents is more about a quick turnaround time frame and fast moving stock.
Your clothing range is out late April, what can we expect?
X: We have been posting sneak preview shots on our site & on our fan page on Facebook. Our collection is structured, bodycon, monochrome & chic. Think high waist skirts, puff ball sleeves and cowl necks. Then throw in black, white, purple & red accents et voila!
Why do you feel it is important to be an ethical fashion label?
It’s really important! We can’t continue to live in this throwaway society and not care what happens to the planet after we are gone. As a designer for the brand, I am always thinking to the future and wondering “what if...?”
We have to understand where our clothes come from. They don’t just magically appear on the rack in the shop, someone, somewhere has painstakingly made that garment and in some cases made it under horrendous working conditions. We are so fortunate to have born into a culture where we have the choice to do what we want. Some people on the planet aren’t as lucky as us, and I want to be able to provide a voice for them via fair trade and ethical clothing. At the end of the day, I am designing for a cause and not just a garment.
So as you can see Xander, along with the team at Emi, are really passionate about their products and the way its made! They really are a unique fashion line with some beautiful products so you should definitely check them out! Here's the link to their website: www.ethical-emi.com You can also follow them on facebook Facebook.com/EthicalEmi and twitter Twitter.com/Ethical_Emi! Also check out their blog: www.ethical-emi.blogspot.com!
Speak to you all soon! I'm going to see Justin Beiber tonight in the o2! oh and I also lost another phone!
Much Love
Lorna xoxox
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