Bode: The Future of Fashion
How Emily Adams Bode turned her passion for sustainability into an international business.
Emily Adams Bode’s namesake brade Bode has turned the fashion world on its head. While she supports sustainability and diversity, her one of a kind pieces have graced the covers and editorials of magazines such as Vogue, Elle, and more. Her sustainable mindset brand challenges the fashion industry to lessen their footprint on our environment. She embraces the emergence of repurposed clothing, as well as the vintage uproar. In her Vogue feature, written by Alice Newbold, Bode says, “[Fashion] doesn’t always have to be new, we can look back” (Newbold, 2020). She is challenging the industry by taking a step back, appreciating the past, but reconstructing it to fit the present. Her up-cycled pieces have been worn by some of the biggest stars, including Emma Corrin, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Bella Hadid, and even Leon Bridges at the Met Gala.
Bode’s unisex clothing is worn equally by both men and women, and has been on the rise since her brand started in the summer of 2016. As sustainability has been front of mind for consumers, Bode has become a fan favorite. She was the first woman to be featured at New York Men’s Fashion week less than a year after starting her brand, with her handcrafted embroidery setting her apart from the masses (Newbold, 2020). Her textiles are sourced from markets, estate sales, and thrift stores, leaving little to no impact on the environment. Her mission is simple: create meaningful clothing that can be worn for a lifetime with fabric that has a past and a story before the garments are even put together.
She also brings a sense of nostalgia to her brand, with the intent to create a feel of pure craftsmanship, something we do not see often enough with the rise of fast fashion and increasing factory production. The fashion industry makes up 10% of humanities carbon impact, and in some studies, is shown to be the second largest pollutant. Bode captures our culture’s desire to reduce our carbon footprint, pressuring other brands to do the same. Vogue described the designer as someone at “the forefront of the slow fashion revolution,” and as her brand and popularity continues to rise, she encourages others to look inside their wardrobe, and as they shop, and wonder what their environmental impact is.
Bode creates timeless pieces for a reason, not looking to current trends to influence her designs; instead, she creates her own path, by creating trends and ultimately guiding the future of fashion. Even as the Covid-19 pandemic affected the industry, Bode relied “more on [her] own means, our [her New York] store, [her] own website, and [her] own manufacturing, because [she] just don’t know what [would] happen” (Newbold, 2020). Due to how she was running her business before the pandemic hit, she was not only able to survive it, but thrive in it. Her clothes gave her customers a sense of comfort, something that many of us need in these unsure times, and with the innovation she executed, she only grew in popularity.
Most recently and most notably, a custom pair of trousers were worn by Harry Styles in his editorial shoot for his Vogue Cover. Seen on solely the Bode cord pants, Emily Adams Bode continued the narrative of craftsmanship and a homey feel. The custom pants highlighted times from Styles’ life, whether that may be where he grew up, or pieces of his signature style, Bode blended her brand and the artists’ aesthetic perfectly. She showcased her skill for craftsmanship and authenticity, while staying true to Styles’ taste. Her ability to create pieces that fit the customer, while also keeping the integrity of her brand, is something that few designers have been able to achieve in this day and age.
Emily Adams Bode’s namesake brand will only continue to grow. Her mission speaks to the masses, and the need for change in the fashion industry. She is able to incorporate diversity, sustainability, and historic craftsmanship in a way that seems new again. She takes fashions past and makes it innovative, paving the way for the future of fashion.
References
Newbold, A. (2020, October 22). Emily Adams Bode Is At The Forefront Of The Slow Fashion Revolution. British Vogue. https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/bode-woolmark
