After graduating from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Emily Harris got a job working for a bridal designer in New York.
Despite her love of fashion, she found herself looking for a change of pace that would give her more time to focus on being a wife and mother.
“I couldn’t figure out work-life balance in the fashion industry,” Harris said. “And I also was lacking the creative side of designing. In the industry, it’s a lot of copy and paste, just knocking off designs that already exist and replicating them to make the most amount of money in the shortest amount of time possible.”
Harris started out on a new path by launching her own custom sewing business based in her New York apartment. She was later in a retail space in St. Louis, until the pandemic caused her to go back to sewing from home and selling items online.
For the past three years, Harris has been working with a team in India to manufacture the skirts she sells.
“It’s five women who, my skirts are able to support them, healthcare for their whole families, and they’re working in a safe environment,” she said. “And it’s just a really cool situation, because we manufacture in an area of India that is, doesn’t have a lot of job opportunities, especially for women.”
However, ever since Harris began manufacturing skirts, she’s kept all of the stock at her house, which caused her to outgrow her home studio — leading her to move into a workspace and shop at 907 Arrow Road, Suite 6 in Champaign, which had a soft opening earlier this month. Harris’ brand is named “Mrs. Emily.”
She was initially reluctant to move into a retail space, as she did not want to lose her work-life balance.
“But I figured out what I needed was a workspace that could then flex into retail when I needed,” she said. “So I can have hours while I’m here and I can also take appointments, which I was doing at home, but here I just have space to spread out, so all of my stock is now hanging in a beautiful space and my sewing machines, I’ve got room to get to them and sew. And my drafting equipment — I just have room to actually design and create more, with the added benefit of a space where clients can now come and see the product.”
Harris creates “handmade clothing for a wide range of sizes” and mainly focuses on skirts, with the goal of creating products that work for various body types and lifestyles.
She thinks of her skirts as building blocks that can be styled in different ways and work for all occasions and seasons.
“My philosophy as a designer is simplicity and then iterating,” she said. “So all of my skirts, in some ways, fit the same. They all land at your high, natural waist, and they all have an elastic waist. But then there are, I think I’ve got 12 different sizes and 11 different lengths. … And then I’ve got infinite fabrics. And so within that grid, I’m able to fit women five feet or six feet, petite or tall, and plus or anywhere in between, just by kind of trying things on.”
Harris said that since she drafts all the patterns herself, sources the fabric and oversees the manufacturing process, she’s able to use her familiarity with the stock to act as a stylist and suggest different items to clients.
She also sells split-skirt pants and other items such as shirts, scarves, bandanas and bags.
“There are lots of little treasures that are all meant to build on top of the skirt that create kind of like a super-functional wardrobe that’s working really well, that’s also just very adorable,” she explained.
More information about Harris’ business is available at mrsemily.com and on the Mrs. Emily Facebook page.
Gearing up for a giveaway
The University of Illinois Campus Bike Center, the Urbana Bike Project and the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center (IMC) will host their annual bike giveaway for kids from 1 to 3 p.m. on Dec. 20 at the IMC, 202 S. Broadway Ave. in Urbana.
Bikes are available for ages one to 10 while supplies last. Each child may take only one bike and must be present to pick theirs out.
Organizers are still looking for more bikes to refurbish and give away. Donations can be dropped off at the Campus Bike Center at 51 E. Gregory Drive in Champaign or the Urbana Bike Project at 202 S. Broadway Ave. in Urbana until 6 p.m. Dec. 19.
Bikes of any size and condition are accepted. To arrange a drop-off, call 217-469-5126 or email contact@thebikeproject.org.
The bike giveaway program has provided almost 300 bikes to children since its inception in 2020, organizers said.
Area bank sponsors day program for individuals with disabilities
First Farmers Bank & Trust has announced a $7,100 gift to Danville-based WorkSource, which offers employment services, work and life skill development, education and daily living programs for individuals with disabilities.
The local nonprofit serves about 100 people each weekday, and about 70 percent of their clients live in group homes, bank officials said.
The sponsorship will support WorkSource’s programming, including a new on-site “general store” that will offer hands-on learning experiences. The organization plans to put up signage designating the area as the First Farmers General Store.
Just a few days left of reduced fees for new furry friends
The Vermilion County Department of Animal Regulation and Shelter is currently offering $0 adoption fees for all dogs and cats from now until Dec. 15 at both its shelter location and the PetSmart at 2017 N. Prospect Ave. in Champaign.
The special reduction is due to sponsorship from the BISSELL Pet Foundation.
More information is available at vercounty.org/animal-shelter/.