Emergy

{My Emergy necklace… I get so many compliments on it!}

I first met Ashley at a blogger meet-up in February.  In March, before I left New York, we were able to meet for lunch and she told me more about her plans to launch a site that featured unique products from up-and-coming designers and artisans in emerging economies.  Supporting artisans and smaller designers is important to me, so I was thrilled to hear that Emergy would offer unique handmade items from around the world.  By supporting artisans, whether local or abroad, you’re supporting someone’s livelihood, getting a unique and high-quality item and you generally have a better idea of where the object is coming from.  I think that in the same way people are caring more about where their food comes from and how it was produced, we should bring that same sense of ethics to fashion.  

{Outfit I styled for Ashley’s blog. Necklace- Emergy, dress- J. Crew, jacket- Anthropologie, sunglasses- Marc by Marc Jacobs, watch- La Mer, bracelet and right hand ring- jewelry maker on Portobello Road, left hand ring- vintage, clutch- Clare Vivier}

When Ashley contacted me to do a feature on Emergy’s first collection, a collaboration with a women’s jewelry cooperative in Rwanda, I could hardly contain my excitement.  I purchased a green layered 4-strand necklace and styled an outfit with it.  You can see the feature on Ashley’s blog.  

{Ashley- stylish, philanthropic AND business savvy!}

I also got the chance to ask Ashley a few questions about Emergy:

1. How did you start Emergy?  What gave you the idea?

I actually came up with the idea after coming home from my semester in China and looking at all of the great items I accumulated while iving there. The initial idea for Emergy was just a boutique with items from different emerging designers in China and I was going to call it Minc (short for Made in China). Then I realized the need for smaller designers and artisans was present in other countries. My passion for social entrepreneurship pushed me to focus on emerging markets and the difficulty in being able to provide a uniform range of sizes in clothing pushed me to focus solely on jewelry.

2. Tell me a little about your current Rwanda collaboration (ie: how you found the artists, how long the process took, what drew you to the work, etc).

One of my friends moved to Rwanda in the fall and met the women (Sarah and Ellie) who I’m currently partnering with. He saw a few of their pieces and brought me back some samples during a visit back to the states. I instantly fell in love with the pieces, reached out to Sarah and Ellie to learn about their background and what their plans were, and we hit it off immediately. Sarah and Ellie work directly with the women co-ops to create the jewelry you see on the site and work with me on color choices and such.

3. What has been your favorite part of working on Emergy so far?

Definitely meeting people with similar values and who are passionate about the same cause. It’s also been surprising and refreshing to meet people who are so willing to lend a hand. It’s pushed me to put myself out there time after time and I’m always pleased and flattered when people fall in love with what I’m doing.

4. What was the biggest obstacle to starting your own business?  Do you have any advice for young women wishing to do the same?

My biggest obstacle was definitely creating a solid idea, that involved more than just a basic retail strategy. What made it easier was really utilizing my resources. You’ll learn that most people really support entrepreneurship and love to support entrepreneurs so don’t be afraid to share your idea, concept, passion, etc. When you’ve gotten enough valuable feedback, work on a strategy and taking the necessary steps to put your plan into action.

I’m also a big advocate of seeking out advisors and mentors. They are industry specialists and can fill in information gaps for you where you lack knowledge.

5. What inspires your personal style?

I still don’t know how to define my personal style! Haha! I think it is very much inspired by NYC, I’m from here so that makes sense. I’ve definitely picked up style cues from my travels. Being in Europe made me appreciate the whole simplistic and sophisticated/sexy style, while living in China forced me to take more risks in terms of styles and playing with colors.  

6. What do you see for Emergy in the future? 

The ultimate goal is for each customer to be able to track the creation process from start to finish. I’d like for each piece to come with a unique QR code, upon scanning customers will be able to see the artisan who made their piece of jewelry and the financial impact they’ve made on their company by buying that piece. Tech is such an important part of our lives right now, so doing this makes complete sense. I’d love to take the mystery out of retail and make people feel good about their purchases. My friend Jessie coined the term Fashion Philanthropy and I’m running with it!

Details:

Right now there is no e-commerce functionality on the site, but I am taking orders! You can e-mail me directly to place an order for any of the pieces on the site (or Facebook page): ashley@shopemergy.com. The 4 Strand necklaces are $45, the Paper Bead and Cloth necklaces are $50, and the bracelets/arm bands are all $15. Also let me know if you’ve discovered Emergy through Bonjour Simone and you’ll get a 10% discount!

xoxo,

Simone

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