By: Hayley Bohan

Emerald (Eme) Naumann is a designer focused on creating solutions by thinking analytically about problems she sees in apparel.

Her final collection Virka, which means function in Icelandic, is a line for women working in outdoor labour positions. Her line bridges the gap between construction work wear and outdoor apparel, to ensure the garments are functional for the wearer while making them feel confident and proud.

Virka will be unveiled at the 2019 The Show on April 18 at Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s (KPU) newly opened Wilson School of Design building in Richmond. The beautiful and innovative $36-million building houses a range of design programs including the fashion-design-and-technology program.

Event details and tickets can be found online.

Hayley Bohan: Describe your education journey.

Emerald Naumann: Throughout high school I was invested in going into the sciences. Halfway through grade 12, I realized I wasn’t happy with what I was doing. My family pointed out I was spending all my free time sewing my own clothes and suggested that I look into an education in design.

I learned that KPU offered a more technical fashion design program and decided to take a chance and apply. I felt that this program would bridge my interest in both science and design, and I wasn’t disappointed.

HB: What word best encapsulates you as a designer?

EN: Investigative. I love to start with a problem and work towards finding a solution. I spend a lot of time researching the end user, understanding their frustrations and finding out what they need their clothing to do for them. This was the approach I used when designing clothing for Virka.

Throughout university, I worked a summer job as a landscaper and quickly realised no one was making apparel for women working outdoors in labour positions. As a result, I ended up having to wear little boys’ clothing because it was the only apparel I could find that fit me yet was sturdy enough! To solve this problem, the clothes developed for Virka aims to incorporate the functional aspects of work wear, like stain resilience and reinforced knees, into more creative designs that women want to wear on and off the job.

HB: What was the inspiration for this season’s collection?

EN: Last year my parents were lucky enough to travel to India where they visited the Nahargarh Stepwell in Jaipur. Seeing images upon their return, I instantly fell in love with the landmark. The steps to the water were created in such a random way, yet the end result looked beautifully calming. I used the angular lines seen in the steps to create interesting seaming in my garments, while adding to the function through articulation to aid movement.

HB: What was the most enjoyable part of this final collection process?

EN: Probably seeing faint ideas become real garments that will hopefully help real people.