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SUSAN ABPLANALP
FOUNDER & OWNER OF EMERY STREET, INC.
B.S. Textile and Clothing Design, UC Davis
M.S.Ed., OTL Masters of Science in Education, Cal State East Bay
Continuing Lecturer, University of California, Davis
Senior Lecturer, California College of the Arts
Lecturer, Otis School of the Arts
Pictured: Susan in SunnyB Jacket designed by Emery Street. Photography by David Suh Studio.
Susan Abplanalp is the Founder and CEO of Emery Street, Inc. (ESI), a Consulting Service in the Global Garment Industry. ESI provides consulting in Sustainable Original Designs, Illustration, Development, Technical Design, Pattern making, Production, and Fittings. Emery Street, Inc., a woman-owned business, was founded in 2008.
University of California, Davis Department of Design: Fashion Illustration (DES 171); Core Illustration (DES 014).
California College of the Arts: Pattern Making, Advanced Pattern Making, Draping, and the Pre-College Program for Fashion Design.
Otis College of Art and Design: Summer Pre-college Program for Fashion Design.
ESI has a mission to be sustainable and earth friendly. They are "saving the planet one garment at a time" by using:
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Organic fabrics
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Vintage buttons
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Reclaimed fabrics
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Salvaged trims
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Local production
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Thoughtful design
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Nothing that requires dry cleaning
ESI works on sourcing raw materials responsibly and combining them with ideas from used clothing that would otherwise be discarded. ESI is inspired by the concept of a circular economy, a theoretical system in which goods are manufactured in a way that allows them to be broken down and turned into something new at the end of their lifecycle, rather than just being thrown out. Under this model, nothing will ever truly be discarded.
The average American throws away 81.5 pounds of clothing and other textiles annually, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Meanwhile, the making of new fabric used to make garments requires vast amounts of water, dyes, and chemicals. Much of this is wasted if the garments wind up in a landfill.
ESI implements sustainable practices to fulfill their mission to reduce waste in the garment industry. Furthermore, Susan teaches future designers how to thoughtfully craft end-use products that, rather than hurt the environment, actually help the environment in the long term.
Pictured: Susan photographed at David Suh Studio in Los Angeles. David, an accomplished photographer, is a former student of Susan's at UC Davis. All emerystreet.com photography by David Suh Studio.