Having recently won the coveted “Best Designer” award at the inaugural Minnesota Fashion Awards, Emma Berg has established herself as one of Minnesota’s most celebrated fashion designers on the scene. But off the runway, the designer’s one-of-a-kind, couture garments were difficult to come by. That she was carried by local shops, such as June Resale and Motto, seemed to be a well-kept secret.
But with the launch of her e-shop this week, the designer has made her wares accessible to anyone with an internet connection and credit card.
It features Berg’s moody, sculptural fall/winter 2014 and optimistic, feminist-inspired spring/summer 2015 collection that includes silk screen-printed with artwork by Minneapolis artist Melissa Loop. I also spied a few signature items from past collections, such as a couple of gorgeous skirts crafted from garden-print silk taffeta silk by Carolina Herrera, as well as a baby blue tweed dress and a hot pink silk dress with blouson sleeves from her fall/winter 2012 collection. She also gave each piece charmingly cheeky names: “You Call That a Skirt,” “The Garden Party After a Few,” and “It’s Not an Apron.” She says new garments will be added every other week.
Despite the greater accessibility of her designs, there is one major limiting factor for those among us who are larger than a size 4: Each one-of-a-kind piece is a sample size, designed for the runway (although some pieces, such as an oversized sweater and a “semi-practical” cape are relatively “open” in size). The designer says she plans to create a handful of limited-edition size runs in the near future.
Fortunately, the designer is open to creating custom orders, so you could just end up with a one-of-a-kind piece of your very own.
Here is a selection of some of the available looks; view more at emmaberg.com.
“You Say Bondage, I Say Love,” $320 @ emmaberg.com
“Wearing a Canvas,” $150 @ emmaberg.com
“Daydreaming of Somewhere Else,” $220 @ emmaberg.com
“Almost a Disney Princess,” $700 @ emmaberg.com
“A Semi Practical Cape,” $550 @ emmaberg.com
“The Garden Party After a Few,” $300 @ emmaberg.com
“The Star and Crescent,” $250 @ emmaberg.com
[All images courtesy Emma Berg]
