looks we like

STORYTELLING IS AT THE HEART OF EMILY BODE’S NEW YORK-BASED LABEL.

Can you tell us about your background and journey into fashion? Growing up, I made clothes from crochet blankets, accessories from newspaper, and dolls from socks. I’ve always been passionate about creating a whole lifestyle; studying personal narratives and family histories; and the portrayal of an intentional aesthetic. In New York, I learned the technical aspects of making apparel at the Parsons School of Art and Design, and completed a philosophy degree in aesthetics. I spent time at Marc Jacobs and Ralph Lauren. New York offers so much inspiration. It’s not so much about a particular place, but rather that these clothes become a part of the owner's life and bring along their own historical narrative of the past.

What’s the story behind this collection? The SS19 collection is centered on the familial history of my long-time collaborator, Aaron Aujla. Equipped with a fake passport, his grandfather left North India for Canada in the 1920s, leaving behind his young bride and newborn daughter. He worked in British Columbia for the next 18 years, all while mailing money back to his family. After Indian independence, the Aujla family were reunited in their new home in Canada, where their traditional Indian roots melded with their new British-canadian surroundings.

Tell us about the fabrics you’ve used. Most of the collection was sourced in India. I travelled around New Delhi, Jaipur, Kolkata and Chennai to find various hand-woven cottons and embroidered fabrics. I wanted to focus on the historical aspect of Khadi and use the textile heavily. Khadi is a hand-spun natural cotton cloth, often created inside the home. After Gandhi led the movement to domestically manufacture cloth and clothing from Indian yarns in the late 1940s, it quickly became a worldwide symbol of peaceful resistance and freedom.

And what about the colours? The colour palette evolved throughout the development of the collection, and was selected based on historical background and symbolism. We focused largely on marigolds and golden hues, in the end.

Whereabouts is your studio based, and what’s the neighbourhood like? We’re based in Chinatown, in Lower Manhattan. Our block is still primarily Chinese, and is home to some wonderful small stationery shops and eateries. We eat lunch nearby almost every day – our go-to is Spicy Village, which has egg pancakes for $1.50!

For you, how important is the story behind an item of clothing? The story is everything! Storytelling is how I begin each collection, and I love sharing the history of a textile or inspiration with our customers. We share the origin of each material, embroidery and appliqué on our tags and in our stores.

What have you learned from your journey as a designer? It’s a continuous process, but I’ve learned to trust my instincts – as clichéd as that sounds. As a young brand and designer, everyone wants to tell you their opinion and advice for growth and success. It’s hard to know what’s noise and what’s valuable, especially in this industry, where brands achieve success in a million ways. Also, your team is everything; it's your family. The culture we’ve built in and around Bode is the value of the brand.

Where can we see more of your stuff? Online at bodenewyork.com