Spotlight: Emerson Fry

Emerson Fry isn’t exactly breaking news as it has become a favourite amongst bloggers, but I couldn’t skip over it as it one of my favourite independent designers. I first discovered the brand when it was named Emerson Made. At that time Emerson blah was creating flower broches as well as small leather goods such as belts and clutches. She started to branch into clothing and released a few collections of clothing under the name Emerson Made. I at the time purchased a tweed blazer from Emerson Made, which wonderful quality, but unfortunately doesn’t fit me perfectly anymore.

I lost track of the brand for a while but last summer they came back to my attention with a new name, Emerson Fry. The clothing still had that effortless cool factor seems to come to Emerson so natural but the designs had matured. I immediately fell for the a-line mod top but it sold out very quickly. (They’ve re-run this top this summer season but it seems like a lot of money to spend on a top.) This season’s summer line was no different for me. It is effortlessly cool and classic with influences from the 60s and 70s.

The clothing is on the expensive side of reasonable but considering that most of it is produced NYC the ethical conditions that is produced in may be worth the price tag. Emerson’s simple and chic aesthetic also means that her pieces will age well, they could be part of any stylish women’s wardrobe for years to come. Emerson Fry occasionally has codes floating around that offer significant discounts on her pieces as well as offering a small collection of ends on her site for deep discount.

PS. Isn’t her model gorgeous!

*Photos all taken from the Emerson Fry website.

Spotlight: Sezane

Designed by Morgane Sezalory Sezane is a French label that produces several small collections annually. The clothes are a mix of casual and dressy but they all have the air of effortless style. The majority of their manufacturing takes place in Europe and for the most part seems to be ethically produced. They take great pride in the quality of their products saying: “We attach the greatest importance to the creation of our designs. The choice of fabrics is primordial to us, as are the conditions that they are made in, to which we pay the greatest attention. We search far and wide for the right techniques and savoir-faire with our sole criterion being quality.” I’m currently lusting over their Spring 2013 collection which unfortunately is mostly sold out.

The styling of their pieces is usually simple and very wearable.

As well as clothing Sezane also produces shoes and bags.

Though the clothing echoes current trends (fluro, patchwork, dressy sweats, etc) they also have a classic air about them. This allows their pieces to transition between seasons making them a more versatile part of your wardrobe.

Fresh Friday: Everlane

Everlane is an online retail brand that touts “radical transparency” in their retail model. They have cut out the middleman and brick and mortar stores to create high quality basics at a more affordable price to the consumer. Their products are produced all over the world but they are committed to ethical treatment of their workers wherever they may be located.   They even include photos from their factories on their blog.

They also happen to have beautiful design in both their clothing and their website. Their t-shirts have that effortless drape that I’m always searching for and their silk shirts mimic the look of Equipment blouses at more than half the price.

* All images via Everlane’s Blog