Emily Dureault tells RAW she gets much of her inspiration from everything, including people-watching. Who doesn't love a good people-watcher? Now, people, it's our turn to watch out for Emily Dureault's eco-friendly and stylish clothing line Into the Woods. Be sure to RSVP to see her apparel hit the RAW runway at our next Long Beach showcase on Thursday, March 25th! 

Tell us about yourself.
I grew up in Chino Hills, California.  Throughout my whole life, I have always been interested in fashion!  I would love to pick out outfits for myself and friends, flip through fashion magazines, and I couldn't wait to learn how to sew.  I started sewing when I was 15 years old and I haven't slowed down since then.  I moved to Long Beach in 2005  and attended Cal State Long Beach to study fashion design.  I always knew I wanted to start my own company.

How did "Into the Woods" first get started?
I graduated from Cal State Long Beach in May 2008.  With some experience under my belt right out of school, I decided to try it on my own.  Thus, Into the Woods Clothing was born in March 2009.  I picked the name Into the Woods because of my love of trees and the environment.

From where do you draw inspiration for your work?
I draw inspiration from everywhere, for example, flipping through magazines, movies, art, music, architecture, color schemes, and even people watching.

Do you engage in, or draw inspiration from, any other forms of art ?
Yes; I love to paint and draw,  which definitely affects my design process.  I also use music as a form of inspiration. When creating my current collection, I listened a lot to the band Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

Are there any fashion designers, past or present, who strongly inform and influence your work?
I love Betsey Johnson!  I love how fun and alive her designs are.  I also love the new designer for Balmain, Christophe Decarnin and the fellows who run Proenza Schouler, Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough.  I am always in awe of the work that these designers create!

From start to finish, explain your process.
First of all, because all of my designs are reconstructed out of used/donated clothing, my design process starts at thrift stores, usually Salvation Army.  I will usually have an idea of the look I am aiming for, although because it is a retail store based on donations I never know what I will find. Once I find a stack of great garments I will take them home and start popping them on the dress form and just start draping.  Once I get a few looks down, the ball definitely starts rolling. Then when I need more supplies the whole process starts over.

What sort of techniques do you most like working with?
I love to drape!  I am a very visual person and seeing, touching, and moving the fabric around helps me see the transformation.

What do you hope to accomplish?
I hope to further spread the word of Into the Woods, get into some boutiques and eventually open my own retail location.  The journey so far has been very challenging, positive and encouraging.

What do you love most about what you do?
I love the creative freedom and the ability to meet, work and collaborate with so many amazing people!

When you're not designing clothes, what do you enjoy doing/ any other involvement?
I love to draw, paint, sew, play drums, hike, participating in craft fairs and, of course, hang out with friends.

Why showcase at RAW?
I chose RAW because I love that they promote and showcase new talent. I have also have presented a collection with them in 2009 and it was such a blast!

Any previous shows/accomplishments that you are most proud of?
I am proud of the fact that I started my company.  It was so rewarding setting up the business license and trademark.  I have also participated in the following shows: Project Ethos X at The Avalon in Hollywood, Frequency at The Kress in Hollywood, Raw: Natural Born Artists at The Ultra Shore Lounge in Long Beach, House of Funk at Daydream Republic in Los Angeles.

Any current rising stars within the genre that you would recommend we look out for?
A designer friend of mine who has also presented a collection with RAW, Dane Lenon.  His collection is called DLEN.  Watch out for him, he is so talented!

Visit Dureault's Web site: http://intothewoodsclothing.com/