|
The highlight of designing clothes for Nelson fashion designer Emma Manhart is seeing women "literally skipping out the door with their new dresses on, and the buzz of seeing my garments worn by women on the street".
Personalised design, quality and a sense of community with the women who love her label are the key ingredients of Emma's namesake label.
Emma Manhart, the label, was launched in 2006, starting out in a Collingwood St studio where Emma designed and produced for retailers throughout New Zealand.
Training through the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology costume design course gave her a grounding in the essentials of fashion design, such as design drawing, pattern making, garment construction, textile fabrication and decoration. Specific techniques she learned, such as silk dyeing, merino wool felt making, millinery techniques and jewellery making, are used in her current designs.
But the learning hasn't stopped for Emma. Since shifting to her boutique on Hardy St in 2007, she has become more in tune with the direct feedback from customers that comes from the retail experience.
"The shop is like my incubator – I test designs, make small limited editions of a garment and see whether my costumers respond to them. Generally, the shop is a great research tool. I talk to customers about their needs, their reasons for buying the clothes, the events they go to and their lives," she says.
Emma gets to see a wide range of body shapes, and hears what women like and don't like about their figures. While she designs some clothes that will fit a range of figures, others are made for women with a particular shape, such as larger hips than bust. She can experience firsthand with her customers how a new design fits different women, and whether it captures their imagination.
The personal approach has helped her through tough economic times and increasing competition in the fashion industry. Retailers opening since 2006 have predominantly been supplying garments made overseas and designed for the mass market. By contrast, Emma's collections are designed and made locally in Nelson. "We can also make garments for clients to their own size, from our collections. What I do cannot be bought elsewhere."
While retailing has become more of a priority for Emma, she continues to supply several womenswear retailers across New Zealand. These too are predominantly boutiques that support New Zealand designers, and have clientele who appreciate the effort that goes into producing garments in New Zealand.
She aspires to keep challenging herself, shortly embarking on a six-week research trip to London and Paris, where she hopes to enrich her creativity and research historic costume and fashion collections from museums, boutiques and vintage shops.
From a business perspective, she will also be looking at how boutiques are set up, what kind of service is provided and where her garments might sit in the world fashion scene, with exporting in mind.
Emma's drive and ambition are clear. "I have learned to keep on pushing myself to be brave, to push my design creativity, because that is what women come to my shop for."
The Emma Manhart label is one to watch!
The Nelson Mail | 
