Our motivation is to change how we experience textiles and fashion. Edie & Ophelia, as part of Studio Erskine, was created to bring people closer to the art and craft of making and to deepen our emotional attachment to our clothes through engaging material experiences. 

At our core is an entrenched philosophy for sustainable and ethical ways of keeping our garments for longer by encouraging a change in perspective and mindset. We consider how we develop a relationship with our clothing - more often than not, how we wear and use our clothes leaves an imprint on our pieces and vice versa. Movement, tears, rips and creases of a well-worn and loved item tell our stories, and these stories have meaning.

At Edie & Ophelia, we adopt the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, which encourages us to see the beauty in imperfection and impermanence, and to value, appreciate, and cherish the ageing process of our fashion and textile pieces. We explore circular design ideas and initiatives for product longevity and attachment through Co-creating, Co-Designing and Co-repairing with our patrons, with the hope that these pieces and stories will last a lifetime.

Emma is an artist, embroiderer and womenswear designer. Emma trained as a designer and pattern-cutter at the London College of Fashion and graduated with a Master’s in Fashion & the Environment. She also gained a Master’s in Contemporary Art Theory at Goldsmiths University. She is a PhD candidate in Material Science at the Royal College of Art, researching ways to facilitate Human-Product attachment through the sensory experience of embroidery practice for a circular fashion and textile industry. Emma founded Studio Erskine with a mission to increase our emotional connection to our clothes by engaging our sensory experience of materials and textiles.