8 • EMMA LOUISE LONDON • DESIGN AND INNOVATION
At Emma Louise London a collection is made up of a minimum of 11 products, with the product varying from dresses to tops to trousers. Every year the amount has increased and will continue to do so. In the AW13 collection the label introduced having the same dress in three different colours or the same shirt in different prints, providing more options for the consumer to choose from. This collection also saw the introduction of scarves also available in three different colours and varying prints. The experimentation in each collection is a good way to determine what the customer wants i.e. what is the most popular product and what doesn’t work so well. This way the label can focus on those products bringing in more profit looking into ways to improve them and push sales even more. At Emma Louise London, the typical time frame from initial design to final product is around two to three months. However there is a longer period for Spring/Summer than there is for Autumn/Winter. This begins with initial inspiration, including images or techniques Emma is inspired by, then experimenting and adapting these to her own designs. Drawing out designs, technical drawings, sampling, pattern cutting and producing the prints follow this. This is all possible with the help of a small yet efficient team. Emma Louise London specializes in print, so this is a very important part of the design process. After collating all the inspiration for the new season, Emma begins to experiment using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to create new prints for the collection. Once the basics have been done Emma requests a 1-meter sample, then changes the colourways of the print and alters anything that doesn’t turn out as planned. She also sends off a colour palette, so she is able to see what the printer calibration is like. Once the prints are finalized, Emma sends the tile for a repeat print or the individual file for a placement print. This then takes around 10 days to arrive back into the studio. Emma Louise London is purposely designed and produced in the UK, this is something that Emma is proud of and would want to carry on doing. The label did explore the UK for factories to manufacture the garments; although the majority of factories in the UK deal with fast fashion meaning they would not touch the Emma Louise London products. This is because of the high quality of the garments and prominent use of silk, so the collection is made in house. Producing the collection in house with a small team has its benefits, the high quality is maintained and the products turn out exactly as planned.