Emmy Design

At Emmy Design, the heart of the brand is its founder, Emmy, who, along with her design team, meticulously hand-drafts every pattern, ensuring each piece resonates with the brand’s vintage-inspired ethos. Located in Växjö, Sweden, Emmy operates a small but passionate all-female team dedicated to crafting feminine, well-fitted garments. The design process is deeply rooted in traditional techniques, with each sketch drawn by hand — a testament to their commitment to quality and detail.

Materials are carefully selected from top European suppliers, with personal visits to Scandinavian fabric suppliers ensuring the highest quality. Production is said to be split between two trusted international factories; sewn garments are lovingly created in Kaunas, Lithuania, while the knitted items are produced in Shunde, Southern China. However, the product descriptions detail other production facilities located across Europe, so actual production details are unclear.

Furthermore, some fabrics are woven and printed in Germany, adhering to strict EU regulations on ethical workplace practices. Further clarity is needed regarding ethical production practices across the brand’s supply chain. 

The brand utilises textiles such as conventional and organic cotton, mulesing-free merino wool, linen, and silk, reflecting their commitment to ethical sourcing and animal welfare. However, they also use synthetic and semi-synthetic materials like viscose, spandex, elastane, polyester and polyamide, which have less favourable environmental impacts.

While they produce garments in exclusive, small-scale collections to reduce fabric waste, the full extent of their environmental impact is unclear due to the lack of detailed information on their material sourcing. Emmy Design’s efforts include local printing and the use of locally produced paper for their art prints, which suggests a commitment to reducing transport emissions.

Emmy Design emphasizes circularity through its recycling initiatives and focus on monomaterial garments, facilitating easier recycling processes. While the brand offers a significant number of garments that can be recycled due to their single-material composition, it also produces some items from material blends, which can complicate the recycling process. 

To support circular fashion, Emmy offers a unique service in Sweden where customers can circulate their used clothes, including non-Emmy brands, in exchange for vouchers. These circulated clothes are then sold on online auctions and second-hand sites within the EU. This program not only extends the life of garments but also promotes sustainable consumer behavior by incentivizing the reuse of clothing. 

Emmy Design has its headquarters and warehouse located in Växjö, Sweden. The brand sources its materials from various countries including Italy, Portugal, Australia, China, and Spain. Some fabrics are woven and printed in Germany, and manufacturing is spread across Serbia, Italy, Portugal, Lithuania, and China. Despite this extensive global supply chain, the specifics regarding the transportation methods used are not disclosed. This information is crucial to fully understanding the environmental impact of the brand’s logistics and transport emissions. 

Emmy Design uses animal materials such as merino wool that is mulesing-free. However, it is unsure that all the wool used is merino wool, and all sourced in this animal-friendly manner. 

Emmy Designs champions the slow fashion movement with a strong emphasis on timeless style and high-quality craftsmanship. The brand is heavily inspired by vintage fashion, ranging from the Edwardian era to the 1950s, and includes pieces that are replicas of true vintage items. This historical influence ensures that the designs remain timeless, appealing to consumers who wish to invest in long-lasting wardrobe staples rather than transient trends. Emmy Designs is also committed to inclusivity, offering detailed sizing instructions and a broad size range from XS to 3XL to cater to diverse body types. The production process is meticulous, often involving hand-crafted techniques that underscore the brand’s dedication to quality and sustainability. Each piece is made to be worn and loved for many years, aligning with the principles of slow fashion by aiming to reduce waste and encourage thoughtful consumption. The brand incorporates consumer feedback before releasing new collections, as well has encourages consumer questions about each garment, which ensures that all pieces will be bought and loved, with nothing ending up in landfills.

Emmy Designs offers a fair level of transparency, detailing materials, sourcing, and production specifics at the product level. However, there is a lot of room for improvement, especially in providing more information about the ethical conditions at their production facilities and further details on chemical usage and transportation methods. While the brand emphasizes the durability of its garments, aimed at supporting a slower fashion industry, they could enhance transparency and improve their level of trust with conscientious consumers.