Emily Trevor

Emily Trevor first emerged in the Twin Cities fashion scene in the fall of 2013 just prior to graduating from St. Catherine University. Pulling from her past theater experience, Emily is no stranger to delivering the drama on the runway. She has been dazzling and delighting crowds of fashion show attendees annually, with each show more opulent and awe-inspiring. Select pieces from her past four collections will be available at the market.

On Emily's site, she offers an incredible inside look at her creative process, showing sketches, garments-in-progress, and final work on the runway. It's a beautiful, intimate peek into the process of making beautiful clothing and well worth a visit.

To see Emily's designs in person, be sure to stop by the upcoming Fashion Week MN Spring 2017 Market at Modist Brewing put on by Minneapolis Craft Market. 

How has your business evolved? How have you evolved alongside it?

I wouldn’t call my label a “business.” I consider each collection I create an expression of self, a statement that I feel the need to create at the time. I have the pleasure of designing for Target during the day, so in my free time, creating large collections is a form of art. I allow myself complete creative freedom. I get to use my couture experience and my love for expensive fabrics to create one of a kind pieces, handmade by me. Each collection builds on the previous in terms of skills used, new fabrics utilized and creativity level. I think each collection represents who I currently am as an artist, and definitely what I currently wear or am inspired by aesthetic wise. My newest collection truly feels closest to my own personality.

I love the bit on your site where you reference feeling immediately 'at home' when you began designing. Was this a turning point for you?

I went to school in my late 20s for design. Up to this point, I always considered design, but never had enough faith in myself that I would be any good. This was most definitely a turning point. The moment I walked into my first class (textiles) at school, I knew this was where I was meant to be. Gratefully, only a handful of years later, I’m designing for Target and creating couture collections in my free time. I’ve never been so grateful.

Have you always been creative? What forms or channels have you explored in your creative journey? 

I use to write a lot in my free time and took some creative writing classes. They were all pretty memoir-like. I also lived in NY after high school to attend theater school. So yah, I guess I’ve always had a creative bug.

You also talk about enjoying the entire design process, from inspiration and sketching to patternmaking, constructing and accessorizing. What is gratifying about this process for you?

It’s gratifying because you are able to control the entire process. Being a designer with all of those skills is liberating - I can create exactly what is in my head. That’s nutty. And that’s why I love it - I understand each process because I can do it.