The Emotive Quality of Clothing

Words by Stephanie Gill, photographed by Claire Cottrell

Noted for being the first female designer to show at New York Men’s Fashion Week, Bode and her eponymous brand have captured the fashion imagination with her thoughtful use of vintage fabrics, which she carefully rescues, archives, and restores to create whimsical pieces that gracefully shift masculine identity. She spoke with us about her lifelong love of antiques, the stories textiles can tell us, and how drawing on the emotive quality of clothing can enable a meaningful relationship with fashion.

Stephanie: Your designs evoke a strong sense of nostalgia and storytelling. Can you recall one of your first memories of a specific fabric and relate it to Bode today?

Emily: My aunt used to sew and craft a lot when I was a kid. I had all these antique doll beds from the 1800s, so she would make tiny little pillows and little quilts from other pieces of quilts. My grandmother also collected linens, which I’ve saved, including a type of fabric that we use a lot at Bode. There are these embroidered tablecloths that came from soldiers stationed abroad (specifically in Asia) during World War II. They would bring them back as souvenirs, so we call them souvenir tablecloths. I even have a tablecloth that my grandfather had brought back for my grandmother, which is kind of cool. They’re usually hand-embroidered with pagoda themes or garden scenes. We make shirts out of those tablecloths, and lately, we’ve begun to reproduce the shirts and introduce a new design every season. 

What initially draws you to your textiles? Do you look for something specific, or is it a more intuitive process?

I really try to hone in on the history and the historical narrative of each individual textile. Sometimes it comes with a note, or I can see the postage of where it came from; a lot of people like to tell the stories behind their fabrics. And still, after two and a half or three years in, each of our hang tags has a space to be able to tell that story. That’s what was initially attractive to me about textiles: the intrinsic narrative, and also what we could explain, from the historical techniques to the color theory of an era. 

You seem to maintain long-lasting relationships with your network of tailors and fabric suppliers. How does this impact your work?

I had always been interested in going to flea markets and antique markets and estate sales when I was a kid. Some of the people that I talk to today, I’ve known since I was little, from going to flea markets in Massachusetts in the summer. Those communities are very tight-knit; you see the same people every season. Now, as the brand grows, we’re talking to them every few months. I think it’s important because the better the relationship and knowledge that you share with them, the stronger your product is going to be.

Have you been surprised by the way that men have responded to Bode? 

Not necessarily surprised, because that was kind of the purpose of building the brand. But I think it’s always interesting who buys the clothes, and who is able to experiment with the way that they understand masculinity and their identity. I love hearing when someone comes in, and they recognize something from their domestic space, like, “This reminds me of my grandmother’s quilt” – really understanding that the sentiment that goes along with these textiles is just as powerful, or even more significant, for men than for women. Men can potentially be a little bit further removed, but they still identify with these pieces from their past or, sometimes, from their own heritage. 

How would you say the way we interact with our clothing is potentially influenced by its history?

I’ve always shopped vintage and antique because of the narrative and the rarity that goes along with it. My mother was the same; she saved a lot of her clothing. I think there are different ways that people shop, and I’m intrigued by how people buy objects to have forever and to pass on, and to have their history be a part of the history of the garment itself. That way of dressing is interesting to me because it’s more of an object-based dressing. People buy into a specific item because they fall in love with it, not even necessarily to wear, but just to have it and be inspired by it daily.

Why do think storytelling and narratives are so important in fashion?

I think it gives a new level to consumer culture. I think the entire idea of making objects, of utilizing the idea of making is interesting, and it makes a difference when people focus intently on that in their career in fashion. There’s a stronger emotive quality that comes from the clothing when people are more intentional about what they’re making.

This article was first published in The Lissome Issue 1: A Wakening
You can find out more about Bode: bodenewyork.com