Designer Q & A: Emma O'Malley

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Emma approached Godiva early 2013 to see if we would accept her scarves into the showroom. We didn't hesitate! Her imaginative and skilled illustrations are so stylish and timeless. Not only this, but Emma's range is one of the most exclusive high end collections to sell in the showroom so far. They may have a higher price tag of £100 plus but they are well worth the investment.

Emma prints on high quality silk crepe and they are produced in Britain, supporting UK manufacturing and design. 

Her scarves have reach acclaim in the store and we are looking forward to a new delivery soon after a sell out in the first 6 months. 

These scarves are a fantastic gift and a long term investment to your accessory wardrobe. 

We asked Emma, who is currently in Paris to answer our blog Q & A, and her is what she had to say. 

 

Hello, I am …Emma O’Malley - a printed textile designer.

I design ………Currently a range of printed silk scarves.

When I am creating my typical day involves ………I tend to spend the first hour or two at the computer doing the not so creative things like e-mails, preparing orders, researching suppliers, maintaining the website and sorting my head out for the day. Then I get to do focus on the more creative aspects like drawing, painting or taking photographs. Then it’s usually back to the computer for the afternoon! All the imagery for my designs is hand drawn and then scanned into the computer where I put the designs together and can edit the scale and colour.

When I am not designing and creating I am………….I am currently based in Paris so I have been taking French lessons and spending time getting to grips with the city. The studio is pretty small and can get a bit claustrophobic so I try to get out and about as much as possible during the evenings and weekends. I enjoy visiting the flea markets and vintage boutiques, great places to go a get some inspiration

I get inspiration from ……………An idea usually comes to me when I’m daydreaming, just before I go to sleep or when I’m on a long train or flight. I get a little bit of an idea and let in snowball!

The idea for my current collection evolved after a trip to London. Originally the collection was going to be about the city and the architecture, but while I was sightseeing I saw a rhino costume in the V&A and it changed the direction of the collection completely.

Of course I also look towards trend forecasting reports and try and make my ideas fit in with the fashions, but I don’t like to rely on trends too much though and I use them mainly as a guide for colour. I suppose I work a bit backwards…I get an idea first and then try and find a trend that will accommodate it!

Being an independent designer is important to me because………………The freedom and flexibility that comes with being an independent designer is great, although obviously it can be difficult to stay motivated at times. I think the biggest perk is being able to design what I like and enjoy and not being restricted by anything. It’s always really rewarding to see my ideas develop into a finished product and then see it online or on a shop shelf.

I knew I wanted to be a designer when I was……………Actually it was fairly late on. I always knew I wanted to do something creative, but I didn’t know I wanted to be a designer until after I had finished a general Art and Design Foundation year at uni and sampled a bit of everything… I changed course a few times until I felt at home in printed textile design!

My greatest achievement so far is ………………………..It sounds silly but I think that my first sale meant a lot to me…it was such a nice feeling to see it boxed up and ready to go. I liked the thought that someone would be walking around wearing one of my designs.

I cannot live without………………Definitely my very patient Dad - he can fix anything and has a solution for everything.

My favourite thing I have ever bought or found is ………When I first stared I bought a pantone colour book and had a colour chart printed on to a length of silk which I use to choose and match my colours. Having them has saved me a huge amount of time on sampling and it’s a great way to communicate colours accurately to others. It’s also very pretty!

Lulu Scarf available online

Carnival Scarf