Emily Omesi - GFP Collection 2021
To see the rest of the collection please view the lookbook here!
Tell me a little about yourself?
I’m currently a senior at FIT majoring in fashion design with a concentration in sportswear, and minoring in art history. I’ve always loved art and fashion since I was young, and that has led me in the career path that I’m in. When I’m not sewing or making some type of art, I love to cook and spend time with my dog!
Explain your inspiration for the GFP collection?
My collection GFP, started from images of my brother’s medical research. He studies infectious diseases at UNC at Chapel Hill’s Pediatric Research Center. The scans from his research are GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein) scans. The image is of many cells with some spots glowing in bright green. I loved how organic the shapes were and how certain areas glowed. This was the start of my research and the inspiration of the glow-in-the-dark technology on some of my garments and accessories.
I always loved history, so I took a deep dive into Victorian era pediatric medicine, and fell in love with the almost-creepy imagery. Then finished my research with Victorian children clothing. I love how much detail is in the clothing during this time period, and found the child-like silhouettes inspiring as well.
What do you hope people will like about this collection?
I hope people appreciate the care and deep thought into detail that each piece has. I spent about a year cultivating this collection, so each item holds a lot of meaning to me.
Who are some designers/artists that inspire you?
There are sooo many designers and artists that inspire me - probably too many to name! Right now, I’m really loving Y/Project, Ottolinger, and Chet Lo. They all produce very innovative designs and textiles which is always exciting to see.
I love the way you fasten your corsets. What inspired you to use the athleisure drawstring over the traditional lace up?
Thank you! I love how the elastic cording gives the wearer more sizing options—so they can wear the garment over a longer period of time as their body changes. It’s also much more comfortable, as it’s less restrictive.
Your last collection sold out on depop! Tell me about the collection; I really liked the quotes you used in the photos, they have a very positive feeling. Tell me about the people you choose and how their words resonated with you.
My last collection was actually thrown together very quickly in a month when we first went into lock down. The first things I missed were the women in my life who I was able to see everyday. I designed and matched each item to a friend or family member and named it after them. I asked everyone to send me a little quote on what they do for self-care, so that their positive message would maybe continue onto the buyer. It was nice to be able to feel like my friends and family were a part of it even though we were all so far.
When will you launch your site?
I’ll be announcing the launch date on my Instagram (@emilyomesi), and until then you can view my lookbook on my website emilyomesi.com
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I love how you collaborated with Lizzie Donohue and Dylan Kelly on the music, can you explain that process?
I asked Lizzie if she would be interested in writing a song for my thesis, and I was so honored when she agreed! She has such talent, and a very unique voice, so I knew I’d love whatever she made. I told her about my inspiration and she quickly sent over the song that her and Dylan created together. I think it matches my research perfectly!