Bangin' the Drum with EmersonMade. :: The Interview ::

If you haven't seen a post on the house and folks behind the flourishing brand, EmersonMade. , you haven't been doing your blog due diligence. Because, in recent months, Emerson and Ryan { husband + wife team behind the brand } livers of a creatively quirky whimsical lifestyle - have been featured on every other blog, East and West of the Mississippi -including this one. And why not. Everything about them is intriguing and enviable. So, after, sifting through their site, staring at every detail of their photo shoots, I had to know, WHO are these people? Are they real or is this one big marketing ploy? DO they really live this way or is there a larger creative force behind the two? I asked them to answer some of my nosy questions and Ryan and Emerson were kind enough to indulge.

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ok, ready? here we go

Yes hello Megan! BigR and I will be doing this interview together! He is Blue and I am this Pink! Thank you Megan!

First of all, Emerson, your name seems too perfect to be real. Is that your real name? { Living in Los Angeles, this is a totally normal question }

hahaha, thank you that’s a nice thing to say! My full name is Emerson Bethany. People have called me both names all my life and I’ve always favored Emerson and so for the company I chose Emerson. Shorter!

I think we're all curious about both of your backgrounds. In particular ,Ryan's photography, Emerson's styling. Can you tell us about what each of you were doing before starting EmersonMade?

Emerson was (is) a classical painter by training. Ryan ran several companies. Yes! That is a fantastically succinct answer Ryan! Well done BigR!

Your line started with Emerson making and selling handmade linen flowers. What inspired you to create them?

At the time I made the first ones I was painting a great deal of Peonies when we were living in nyc. The flowers were created initially as a way to better understand the construction of flowers so that I could paint them better. Try to recreate them in my mind the way architect might do with a model replica. But the flowers were great and I started wearing them. People started asking me about them and we were off to the races. The company was never intended to be a flower company but instead a launch pad to something bigger. Our best stuff is yet to come…..

The idea of selling fabric flowers is not new, but you all have done a tremendous job at marketing them and creating a lifestyle brand around

these accessories. It's much bigger than just a line of handmade product. It seems to be a way of life that you're marketing. Was there a plan in place to go this direction or did it unfold organically?

Oops I kind of answer that one above. {That's ok, blog interviews have a tendency to get stepped all over, it's just their nature } But yes, flowers by themselves aren’t the scope of the brand but they are a Loved Part of the brand. yes that is a good point you made about way of life, we are most often telling a story about a way of living in EmersonMade, a lifestyle. In particular one that’s genuine and real.

Do you guys really live the way your photos portray that you do?

Hahaha, yes! That is all our life in the photos. As the companys grown we continue to show life on daily basis. Lately we show whats happening in nyc as the 2011 line is completed.

Before going out on a photo shoot, do you have a "story line" that you try to produce in visual images?

That’s a very good question! Yes I almost always have a very clear vision about what I am trying to tell. No one has ever asked me that before.

Speaking of organic, can you tell us about your fabulous farm house? Is that pantry always so perfect?

Thank you so much Megan, that is very kind! The pantry is as you see it! We do not have any storage other than the pantry area so that is our place for foods! We raise our own animals on the farm and are growing our orchard, berry patches, and vegetables ready for market this year. Yes! Ryan does an enormous amount of work on the farm- he astounds me every day with his industriousness!

We are certified organic and all our animals are pastured raised heritage breeds. they are happy animals also, very loving!

Your home has been featured in so many design blogs because it's so darn charming. Is there any chance there will be an Emerson Made for the house?

Thank you Megan what a nice thing to say! We do have a number of new product lines coming out in 2011 and 2012 for Home

We've watched as your business has blossomed into a full on, clothing line. Can you tell us about what influences your style?

The biggest influences are my favorite era’s for womens fashion, not to mention social and political change for women: the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. great combinations of sexy and classic for formal and casual. Powerful women doing powerful things. These three era’s encompass so many incredible options, and Woman want to look good and have options!

I design pieces I want in my own closet depending on the woman I need to be that day. We all have so many sides to our personality, so many things we can do, lives we are made to live, characters we are in different moments.

I am designing for all of those. It’s the transformative power of clothes that I’ve always loved, the story we tell. Open your closet and choose your destiny.

Bang Your Drum.

Emerson, what's the tat on your wrist?

it was from a long time ago. It was symbol, but it means strength.

If EmersonMade created a mixed tape, what/who would be on it? playlist please...

this is a great question! if you were doing every day entertaining we use mostly old records. So Benny Goodman, duke ellington, theloneous monk, willie nelson to name a few. But if you needed a tape for running and working out the upbeat du jour of current pop stuff. I have little bits of dance music and things I don’t even know the name of but you’d know them because they’re on the radio and they make you want to drive fast and get tickets so you can flirt with the Cops! I joke! They play them in stores where there’s lots of Tweens running around. You know Tween!? Is that the word. Forgive me if that is not the word. Ryan where are you I’m rambling!

If Emerson Made created a scent (candle, perfume etc), what would it smell like.

Megan you are looking into your crystal ball again! funny that you ask this question because of something we’re working on right now for 2012 .. . in the spirit of BigR You will have to wait and see ;)

A perfect weekend at Emerson Farm would be....

One where we aren’t working the whole way through! record playing, good foods making, hand holding, loading up the rifle for target shoot and hot tea after, dinner party, afternoon nap, sunrise run, moonfall sleep, peepers in spring, fireflys in summer, snowstorms in winter Just relaxing and maybe imagining it all instead while I sit on the steps and talk to the birds

And finally, you look like one tall drink of water. Mind sharing your height ? {coming from someone barely grazing 5' 6" I have a feeling I'm going to have major height envy }

You are about the same height :-) Emerson is 5'8"

seriously? I think we all thought she was around 6'.

It must be those awesome, EmersonMade. clothes. Dressing tall is key to glamour.

thanks again for hanging with me and answering some nosy questions. You guys are the bomb. I want to be you in my next life. You're the perfect example of creative, earth loving, glamorous, foot loose and fancy free while being tremendously chic. xo Megan

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you still there? I'm more intrigued than I was before. They're the real deal. Do you think they'd adopt a 40 something year old blogger who can do a mean chicken imitation?