Fight like a Girl!

Cassandra Newton, the mastermind behind EME Designs, has been invited to Western Canada Fashion Week (WCFW) and will be showcasing her latest line, “Fight like a Girl”.

“Last year, I did the collaboration with Madame Nadine,” Cassandra said she loved using influences of Madame Nadine’s jewelry to forge a line of “Steam Punk” fashions. This year, she’s going solo.

“For this year, I’m doing me! This is the first year that I’m not playing by the rules and showing my aesthetic as a designer,” the line, called “Fight like a Girl”, is a mixture of florals, faux-leather, and chainmail hardware accessories.

“I was inspired by the Women’s Marches, the LBGT movements, the women’s movements and the #MeToo movements; in Canada and down in the US.”

I wanted to create pieces that inspire women and make them feel strong as a woman.

The leather and chainmail reflect strength and the floral reflects femininity.

Unlike your typical designer, EME Designs aims to suit all body types. The average woman can wear any of the looks.

“My models are sized 2 through 20. You’ll see on the runway, a lot of the items are actually tacked on the models,” Cassandra explained she makes the clothing larger so that it is more sellable after.

“Not everyone is a sample size 6, me included,” she laughed, “I want to make sure these designs would fit anyone and still reflect what I want to show.”

All of EME Designs can be remade and/or redesigned for any size, assured Cassandra.

Cassandra gave locals a sneak peak of her designs this past Sunday, at the Grande Parlour. Cassandra ensures fans get their fill of fashion, while keeping a tight lid on the designs. She does not allow photography or video at her preview shows. However, she did use Cindy Couture Photography to capture the evening and promises to release photos after WCFW.

True to her character, Cassandra made sure to include a number of artists in her show.

Makeup for the models, by Shay Myers from Lux studios, hair by Candise Paulson from Candise’s Creations, and Cindy Couture Photography. The show also featured the unveiling drag queen, Lady Levextra and Kate Emond who performed a spoken word poem.

Owner of the Funky Butt’n, in Cold Lake, Cassandra is thrilled to be able to work with local grads. “If you see something you like, let me know and after WCFW it’s yours.” She provides free alterations on any piece she makes and guarantees no one else will have the same dress.

As for WCFW, Cassandra says she’s most excited for the venue change,  “It’s bigger than ever! They’ve moved it to West Edmonton Mall. There’s going to be more publicity and more opportunities for designers.” The show will be held at the Ice Palace.

EME Designs “Fight like a Girl” collection will be revealed, in its entirety, on April 29th at Western Canada Fashion Week, in Edmonton.