A few clouds with showers moving closer.
A few clouds with showers moving closer
If you thought NFT's were just about funny-looking apes or sports-centered gear, think again. Ema Koja, the creator and mastermind behind the Ema Savahl Couture swimwear and dress designs, is now offering innovative and nature-inspired NFT's based on actual swimwear she's designed.
Featuring the swimwear at Miami's Swim Week 2022, Ema brought wearable art to the runway, featuring her signature handcrafted and meticulously hand-painted designs.
Ema's three-part show started with "The Painted Lady," celebrating the female essence in every woman. Borrowing vintage looks, Ema showcased the beauty of every woman in her signature collection.
In part two, Ema's vision of the perfect woman transforms as she merges with nature. She is lush plants and sunshine, every shade of green, and a psychedelic color pallet of every flower.
Image Courtesy of Ema Savahl Couture.
Part three ends with her inspiration of a ‘goddess' love of nature.' Warm and glowing turquoise, blue and purple hues represent the merging of nature, spirituality, and technology as women step fully into that transcendental experience of life and move into something larger than themselves.
Recently Ema sat down with our Rebecca Holcomb to discuss the craft of her art and Miami Swim Week 2022.
RH: Have you always been interested in wearable art, and if so, where did your inspiration come from?
ESC: It was more of a process of evolution and discovery. My inspiration was more a desire to be normal and belong. I loved drawing since I was a little girl. I drew nonstop, in my schoolbooks, on the walls, on the ground with chalk, everywhere. It gave me a sense of peace and true joy. Years later in high school, I discovered that when I looked at the scribbles I had done as my teacher taught us, I remembered the lesson very well. I started using this technique to become a better student. As the teacher spoke, I drew these abstract symmetrical designs. Each of them was a story. I didn't need to read pages I just needed to have a look at the drawing, and I remembered all.
I perfected this technique in university, and it helped me become an excellent student. Later, life took me from Albania to Italy where I started modelling and I was introduced to the world of fashion.
RH: Was the idea of hand-painted designs always something you wanted to do, and if so, is the integrity of the art itself the reason you hand-paint them?
ESC: When I moved to Miami in 1996, it was a natural progression to enter the world of fashion and continue to do what I did best - drawing stories. Miami transformed the way I saw life completely. It freed me it gave me wings, so I drew a giant butterfly using the same symmetrical designs I used to draw in my childhood. Only, this time, big enough to wear as a bare back top. I lived in my rollerblades those days, so one day as I was ‘flying' in my blades down ocean drive, a store owner smoking outside stopped me to ask where I bought the top. I told him that I made it. That became my first order. I went home and painted seven butterflies, one for each chakra, in each chakra color, because my art tells stories. I like giving meaning to everything.
RH: Is it difficult to create the looks you're trying to work with and get them to translate onto the fabric of each piece?
ESC: The inspiration comes easy and naturally but the process of making them is very complex and it has taken me years to perfect it, and it continues to evolve. I was very ambitious with my creations. I wanted to create something very special, to cover every need a woman has. I wanted something artsy, classic, timeless, but still modern. I wanted it so that when a woman wore Ema Savahl, she'd know that every angle was cared for. From the beauty of the piece, to the uniqueness, the fit, the comfort, the durability, versatility, ease of travel, etc.
RH: In terms of NFTs, what inspired you to create wearable art for the Metaverse?
ESC: Our art is physical, its unique. It's one of a kind, unrepeatable. The governing principals for an NFT are the same as ours - "non- fungible." Using NFTs, we wanted to extend these properties to the digital twin of the clothing piece in the metaverse. So one day your ema Savahl garment can be worn by your avatar in digital spaces in the metaverse.
RH: Were you already thinking ahead to Miami Swim Week 2022 when you created the world's first fashion-centric swimwear Metaverse experience?
ESC: I was not. I only knew that it had come time for me to create something new that had never seen before. The opportunity to innovate came, and we took it to the next level. The Miami Swim Week launch of the first-fashion-centric swimwear metaverse was just a sneak peek of the digital boutique that will be coming soon.
RH: Did Miami Swim Week 2022 meet or exceed your expectations as a designer and what were your biggest wins?
ESC: Yes it was a beautiful experience. There was an amazing synergy between everyone - our team, the Miami Swim Week organization, LL Foundation, the NFT, the models, the makeup team, the hair team, the visuals, the music. We worked together like a whole body, everybody giving their all. It was magical. We were in the flow. We are still reaping the benefits of the show, more and more orders keep coming. It was great win for us, and another solid step after Miss Universe toward moving our business online.
Another win is being recognized as a swimwear designer, outside of the evening wear couture that we have done for 26 years.
If you haven't checked out what Ema Savahl Couture is bringing to the Metaverse, give her site a visit to see her newest NFT's.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
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Featured Image Courtesy of Ema Savahl Couture.
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