DESIGNER EMMA GAGE EXPLORES INDIVIDUALITY AND GENDER ROLES IN LATEST COLLECTION
By Hillary LeBlanc
It’s no surprise that Emma Gage’s most recent collection has tongue-and-cheek energy considering where her love of fashion started. Gage’s passion to design started as a child when she designed clothes for her friends and their toys, getting inspiration by “asking what they wanted to feel like and where they were going”, which makes sense when you see her corn inspired dress and fried egg shirt from her latest line questioning gender roles.
Gage always looked up to her Grandma, and Great Grandma who she always saw as ‘incredibly fashionable’ while growing up outside of the Twin Cities in Minnesota. “I wouldn’t be able to pinpoint one moment in time when I got into fashion, but rather it was a part of my DNA.” Gage was also surrounded by fashion history in her youth as her mom has her PhD in apparel history and would consistently teach Gage “about fashion and art”.
Unsurprisingly, Gage studied Fashion Design at Marist with a minor in product development.
Through college, Gage says she knew that she wanted to start her own business but wanted to learn from experiences and opportunities around her first. While studying, she was planting seeds and laying the groundwork to one day launch a business. That meant researching costs, figuring out the trademarking and licensing processes, and of course thinking of a name. Gage tells us that she always knew “that the brand would at its core be based off of individualism and authenticity, with a bit of tongue and cheek humour. When I moved to New York, I had some friends who would, endearingly, make fun of my accent, specifically my pronunciation of bagel and milk, which I pronounced as m-elk. I could have very easily formed a new habit to say milk instead of m-elk, but decided not to because it was something that made me different and unique. From that, I realized it was the perfect name for my company. Thus, Melke was born”.
While Gage works actively to be as sustainable as possible, she is also realistic about the difficulty in being 100% sustainable. “I’m not sure I'll ever be 100% sustainable, but everyday decisions are made with that goal in mind. Growing up, my family did and continues to do work to combat human trafficking. As I became interested in the fashion industry, I also educated myself on the disparities and abuse that happens, particularly with garment workers and manufacturers.” When starting Melke, Gage’s main focus was sustainability within the environment and “the treatment of workers.”
As she did more research she learned more about how even some recycled synthetic materials directly harm those working within it as well as the planet, “Even recycled synthetics were harmful for people to be working in and also did extreme damage to the planet. Sure, all natural materials still create issues, but the problems are vastly different than shedding microplastics and chemical pollution. As well, when sourcing, I work hard to partner with small businesses I can create personal relationships with, as well as looking for deadstock materials, and material with eco certifications. The trims have been some of the hardest to source, but we are constantly learning and making connections to help us reach our goals. Right now we use vintage buttons, or all natural buttons such as corozo, horn, and shell. Lastly, we work with fab scrap to recycle our remnants and if the pieces are big enough, we also convert them into accessories such as bags, and pillows”.
Identity has been a continued theme since Gage’s years of asking her friends what they and their dolls might want to feel like. As described by Gage The Melke SS23 collection, 'How To Act Like a Man' was inspired by the 1966 Czech film 'Daisies' “which follows the chaotic antics of two women named Marie who seek to embody and break free from the absurdity of gender stereotypes. Fed up with being seen as dainty dolls, they decide that since the world is in chaos, they too will be chaotic. Filled with bright colours, food fights, body builders, corn, and eggs, nods of the film's surrealism can be seen referenced throughout the collection. Prepare to learn ‘How to Act Like a Man’ and expect all assumptions to be turned on their head. Blending the masculine and feminine, you’re bound to be hungry for more.”
Designer Emma Gage (right) and her mother.
Though it is unsure if Gage’s running theme of identity will appear at New York Fashion Week this February she was able to tell us that another film is the inspiration. “I spent quite a few weeks earlier this fall watching films as inspiration, but couldn’t get one childhood film out of my mind. I don’t want to give it away yet, but what intrigued me is that as a child it was a film that I found really scary in parts, but re-watching it as an adult inspired me. It was interesting to look back and to think about why I found certain aspects scary, simply because the cinematography was dark or loud.”
Gage says we should expect elevated craftsmanship and handwork in Melke’s garments, “The past few seasons, I have fallen in love with embroidered appliques and quirky prints. We’re just upping the ante for this season! After the last collection, I was unsure if I could top how happy I was with the end result, but I’m fairly confident that we will. Melke is really hitting its stride, and I’m excited to keep showing people that sustainability can be weird, fun and wearable.”
It is these weird, fun, wearable designs that Gage says have peaked her customer’s interest. “People are definitely drawn to the fun intricacy of the pieces. Each one has a story and an energy that comes with it that feels a bit mischievous and clever. Sustainability is certainly a perk, but the feeling the clothing expels is definitely the draw.”
Gage hopes to use Melke as a means to explore individuality. “I’m hoping to keep growing and building the following Melke is amassing. There is quite a bit of uncertainty in the air, and I would love to use Melke as a vehicle of escape in terms of joy and individualism. In the coming year, I’m really looking forward to hosting more pop-ups and to also growing with the freedom of being a bit unhinged.”