Meet Emily Rouse | Fashion Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Rouse and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Edgington Studio was founded in July 2020, a time during the COVID pandemic when borders were closed and people started to turn more towards having their clothing made domestically. I had started my clothing brand in August of 2019 and was ready to start production for the pieces I had been developing, but was not able to get a hold of the factories in NYC I had been planning with while I was living there. So, when I returned to my hometown of Wheeling, West Virginia in March 2020, I began formulating the idea of setting up clothing production locally with my co-founder. Wheeling has a great history of clothing production and it was something that I felt we could start to build back up.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We have worked hard for Edgington Studio to lead by example in the apparel industry. Our facility is a studio bathed in natural light, soft ambient music, and ample workspace. We offer contract positions allowing employees a better work-life balance with hours that are mutually beneficial. Additionally, we try to make our community a better place. We have made dog beds to donate to the local animal shelter, started a fabric recycling program to send remnants to the local schools for kids to use on projects, and have hosted middle schoolers on field trips to show them the exciting, local opportunities available in the apparel industry. We began sewing classes in order to give people the same chance I had to work with a sewing machine for the first time. While recruiting more team members, we were recently told that sewing is a “dying art” and I hope that these classes will inspire the next generation of garment professionals.

From my own experience launching a collection, there are a lot of hurdles that an emerging designer faces, and we aim to smooth that process for those working with us. Our no-minimum order quantity allows clients to start with very few pieces to test their designs in the market, reduces the inventory they sit on, and ultimately reduces waste that could end up in landfills.

A majority of my time being self-employed and starting these businesses has been during the COVID pandemic. Like many other businesses, we have faced rising costs and delays in our supply chain. This has been a valuable lesson in adaptability and flexibility that is now part of our everyday operations.

I am very proud to produce my garments for House of Rouse at Edgington Studio and had a milestone moment of showing my collection on the Pittsburgh Fashion Week runway this past September and I look forward to more runway moments this year!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My brother, David Meadows, lives in LA and has shown me around to some really fun places. I’ll admit that I like being a tourist and seeing the places that are always on television and film – the Hollywood sign, Chinese Theater, Walk of Fame. I’m definitely a foodie though so Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles hit the spot. In the times that I have been out there for work as well, I have been able to meet some very creative and driven people and it is always inspiring to be around others with the ambition to succeed in these industries. Coming from the east coast, it is much easier to get up early and stay out later in the perfect LA weather too. (I’m sure people who live in LA are cringing at this response right about now.)

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Starting and scaling a business absolutely “takes a village.” Several people helped teach me how to sew from a young age that really sparked my passion for this career path. I’ve learned a lot from my managers and mentors at previous jobs that I try to emulate as I am building a team today. When it came to opening the studio, the Wheeling community rallied. Other business owners provided us with furniture and machinery, clients recommend us to friends and share our work online, and local organizations, such as Wheeling Heritage, the WVMA, and the WV Department of Economic Development, helped us with funding opportunities. Friends and family have put in countless hours as well, from spending time working at the studio to making introductions and offering words of wisdom when I’m feeling stuck.

Website: www.edgingtonstudio.com

Instagram: edgingtonstudio

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edgingtonstudio

Other: www.houseofrouse.co Instagram – house.of.rouse https://www.facebook.com/houseofrousellc

Image Credits
Photographer – Louis Short Models (left to right in uploads) – Aliya Anthes, Kamaria Tucker, Carmen Jones, Andrea Fedrizzi