Jess Emery

Fashion – Perth

From the moment I began walking, Mum had us wandering our local bushland pointing out all sorts of crazy and colourful shapes Western Australian native plants grew. This knowledge stems from three generations of exploration with my Gran-nan, Eileen Croxford, beginning in Albany - propagating a plethora of undocumented species, then to my Nanna, Hazel Dempster, back in Perth supporting propagation at the WA Wildflower Society, and finally to my mother, Sue Dempster, co-founder of landscaping business WA Native Gardens. In the end, that makes me a part of the fourth generation and if you couldn’t tell already - plants have really been a significant influence on my life so when I found myself pursuing fashion design, I knew it was something I wanted to incorporate. My designs tend to focus on my early childhood as I remember running and ducking around all sorts of trees and rocks being careful not to step on any animals homes or a plants new blossom. It was a playful time where I was encouraged to explore all of the shapes, colours, smells and textures I was surrounded by. From here, I include bright and bold colour combinations that emerge from my piles of collected fabrics - some recycled and others just found on little shop outings. My designs are simple, yet they expand through layers and embellishment with beads and embroidery. If this has begun to tickle your fancy, I'd love to see you down at RAW Reflect on February 6th! I’m currently studying at ECU Mount Lawley where I completed my first year in 2018.