Home in an old factory building in Fitzroy, Emily Nolan – the designer behind the namesake tailoring label – lives, works, and creates over three stories. Chatting stories of the creative kind, kit: stopped by for a visit to her incredible bathroom…
Your personal design style – give us three words.
Chaotic, contradicting, and a bit high/low. I can't organise my outfit for the night before because I have no idea how I'm going to feel in the morning. There’s a great Alice in Wonderland quote that says something along the lines of like, I don't know who I'm gonna be in the morning, I could have been six different versions of myself before then. But whilst life is chaotic, I try and keep some things in a routine, which is why I’ve worn the same fragrance since I was 14.”
Living and working in Fitzroy and being surrounded by the local community, how does it influence you?
The [E Nolan, Emily’s eponymous tailoring label] ready-to-wear collection is a direct representation of Melbourne bodies as it’s built on measurements I’ve taken in my fitting room. In terms of the local creative community, I was speaking about this last night with Gemma Lesley – how difficult small business is. Most of my network are female or queer small business owners and they're so reassuring. They're so humble. And they're so willing to help and sit in the gutter with you as well.”
A sunken bath in the middle of your bedroom. Talk to us about this space!
“It feels a bit like Carrie Bradshaw in Melbourne! My bedroom/bathroom hybrid is on the top floor of my workspace, so the moment I go up the stairs I just try and leave work downstairs. I have ADHD and get a lot of sensory overload; a way that I reset is with light and water. And so, bath time or shower time is important for me to wash the day off.”
How do you reset throughout the day?
“I see about six clients a day and I've got to wear many different hats, whether it's for my staff, or for the client that's in front of me. And so, you do need to reset energy a bit, because you don't know who's going to come through the door. I think scent, and washing your hands with water is important to reset and find neutral again, to then be able to, I suppose, prepare for the unexpected.”
You work with your hands a lot, do you have a hand care routine?
“I take my rings off before my evening shower, and I put them back on each morning. All of these rings have been gifted to me – I have a rule that I can't buy myself rings. And so, when I look down at my hands, it’s a reminder of the people that I love but also who love me. I self-soothe by looking after, and at, my hands.”
