This week, you may have spotted our rather exciting announcement! Going forward, we will no longer be putting collections into an end of season sale. Rather, our collections will continue to be available all-year-round, whilst exclusive special offers will be shared with our inner circle at key moments in the year.
Here at Emma Wallace we’ve always been focused on designing timeless pieces made for wherever your adventure takes you. We want to deliver transitional designs that are versatile and can be layered and styled in multiple ways to keep your look fresh. Hard-working pieces that you’ll love for years to come.
With that in mind, it became clear to us that only selling our products for one season just didn’t fit our ethos. Our pieces bring together beautiful design, expert craftsmanship and quality fabrics in styles you can wear forever, and we want to celebrate them for that.
However, we also know our wonderful Emma Wallace Women do love to get our pieces for less. With that in mind, we’re rewarding our inner circle of fans by launching our ‘For Besties Only’ club. For those who sign up to our database, you’ll be sent exclusive previews, discounts and much more. Everything will be for a limited time, so you’ll need to bag your favourites before they’re gone.
Want to discover more? Read on and let Emma herself give you the insight on this decision…
Why have you decided to keep collections available year-round and step away from end of season sales?
“I never wanted Emma Wallace to operate like a fast fashion brand. Whilst I have always worked to the typical fashion calendar from a planning perspective, my designs are created with a seasonless mentality in mind. Every piece is made to be worn in multiple ways – they can all be layered up and styled for different occasions. Simple accessory changes can instantly transform every item. As a result, these collections don’t lose their use or relevance when the season ends. Even if the weather shifts, you can still wear them.
I have always been against the throw away culture we have seen come through and, I wanted to take a stance and show that collections can be timeless and be a part of your favourite looks for years to come. I love seeing people mix and match old seasons with new - that’s certainly how I wear the pieces. Whilst sales are the fashion norm, we really want to break out. We’ve always lived by the ethos that you should ‘dance to your own beat’ so stepping away from this seasonal discounting culture is just us showing what we truly believe in.”
Why is it important that your collections and pieces are seen as timeless?
“I truly believe all fashion should be timeless. That’s probably why so many of my pieces are influenced by the past! You can take a dress from 1940 and style it to look totally modern and fresh. Retro inspirations seed through everything I create, and I think that looking to the past can inspire the future.
Before COVID-19 hit, I think many of us bought new clothes for every occasion. Then we had over a year where we weren’t going anywhere and all those clothes just sat in our wardrobes gathering dust. Now we’re starting to get back to our usual lives, I think there should be a movement to wear all of those unworn pieces and a shift in mindset that gets you to look at those pieces as having so much potential.
Even if trends have moved on, I want pieces I create and buy to still have relevance no matter whether you wear them now or in years to come. They should be items that make you feel amazing no matter what the date is. For me, being timeless means you can keep on wearing it even as life and times change around you.”
When you design a collection how do you incorporate aspects that you think will create something that is timeless?
“I never pay much attention to what colours are considered ‘right’ for the season because I feel colours can be worn anytime if you love them. Before I started the brand I used to hate when it got to Autumn and your only option in stores was to wear dark green or rust because they were deemed seasonally relevant. I love wearing colour and believe that injecting a pop of your favourite shade (no matter what time of the year it is) can instantly improve your mood.
When it comes to cuts and fabrics, I try to think about how women will wear the pieces and where and how they can be layered or re-styled when making those design choices. This ensures every item can be as timeless as possible.”
Do you think we need to be more conscious in our consumption of fashion?
“I think we should be conscious of what we are buying new items for. Can we wear it in different ways and to multiple occasions? It’s all about those versatile pieces that make you smile every time you wear them. Clothing should bring out the best you possible and everything you buy should be long-lasting to support you through any adventure you embark on.
I also think the fashion industry should be more supportive of people who wear items more than once. I love that Kate Middleton repeat wears some of her looks. Those dresses are so beautiful they deserve to be seen over and over again and, she always looks amazing in them! We should be celebrating more moments like that and complementing people on how amazing they look AGAIN in things.”
Why do you believe we should buy less but buy well?
“Because things can be worn more than once and they should be! If you buy well, every item has endless potential. I think one of the great things that the Instagram age has opened us up to is style inspiration - being able to see first had how people wear their pieces and drawing ideas from them to style our own wardrobes in different ways.”
What pieces from the collections do you think are investment pieces?
“It’s hard to say because I feel that is a very personal thing for each person buying the collection. For someone from Hong Kong I would say our silk vests or dresses are a star buy because the weather is either mild or super-hot so you want items that are thin enough to wear on their own on a hot day or layer up when it gets cooler. For someone from the UK I would say the skirts, shirts or lighter weight jackets and cardigans are perfect as they are ideal as layering pieces to help you style out the colder weather.”
What would you say are your three favourite pieces you’ve ever designed?
“I have so many favourites but if I really had to choose, I think at this moment it would be my Vinh Jacket (I just love the embroidery), Dawn Skirt (which I wear on seriously heavy rotation!) and my silk PJ line. Basically, all the prints and embroideries!”
Do you think we should ditch seasonal wardrobes and get better at mixing and matching?
“Yes definitely! It’s how fashion should always be. Obviously, you are not going to wear a super thick cashmere jumper in both 40 degree summer heat and still need it for a -5 degree winter, but the lines between seasons should be much more blurred with clever layering and styling.”
What benefits will subscribers get by being a part of the Emma Wallace community with the ForBestiesOnly promo?
“Being a part of the Emma Wallace Insider network will be filled with perks. From special offers to epic promotions, signing up to our database means you’ll get exclusive access to these announcements. We can’t wait to welcome everyone!”
We hope you’re excited about our move towards being timeless and conscious in our processes. If you’re eager to be an Emma Wallace bestie, then don’t forget to sign up here.