Emma Perkins, 25, enters the retro coffee shop with her pastel pink ‘do as the centre of attention. She’s undoubtedly stylish, donning a black camisole top layered over a simple grey jumper. Before she heads towards the counter to grab her mocha, she throws her lengthy animal print Sherpa coat. over the back of the adjacent chair to her own. Emma is the epitome of trendy. She sits down across from me and sets her coffee down on the oak table. Upon closer inspection, her matching serpent themed earrings and septum ring give off a hint of edge. Anyone would be able to tell that she’s artsy, just from her look alone.
“Hi, I’m Emma.” Her smiley greeting gives off an aura of confidence, and I’m surprised to learn she has never been interviewed before. Emma runs Hello Emu, an online accessory store boasting pastel colours and striking patterns. She describes it as “a really fun, bold, quirky accessory brand. It’s there to bring a bit of happiness to people.” With its daring and garish prints, Hello Emu is certainly not for the lover of subtle jewellery. The brand was created by Emma after she left Manchester School of Art in 2018, where she studied Textiles in Practice. Emma named the store after her sixth form handle: “Emu was a nickname from sixth form, and I thought it would be a really cute business name.” She laughs.
Hello Emu is solely based on Instagram and on its own website, and Emma says this works for her, albeit bringing with it a few struggles. “Instagram’s algorithm is not very pro small business at the moment, so I really want to get onto Etsy. But, my demographic is very active on Instagram, so I think it’s a great place to get my products out there, and it’s what has gotten me this far.” Hello Emu has recently surpassed 10,000 followers on Instagram. Emma’s followers are mostly in their twenties, and 95% of 16-24 year olds in the UK have a social media profile (according to Ofcom), demonstrating how the platform helps small business owners like Emma reach their young target audiences.
Emma is a self-proclaimed night-owl and explains that this is when most ideas come to her. “It’s usually when I’m in bed and I don’t have a notepad or anything. By the time I wake up, they’re completely gone!” Emma uses Instagram and Pinterest to find inspiration, looking at collage artists’ work and fashion designs. “Although sometimes an idea will just pop into my head when I’m going about my day. Like for my egg print, I was just eating my breakfast and I thought ‘Fried eggs, that would be cute!’ So that’s how that design came about.” Recently, Emma converted the loft of her parents’ home into a workplace for Hello Emu. “I’ve got a whole desk set up there, with fairy lights and everything, it’s really cute.” The designer says that she often struggles with allowing herself to take the time off that she needs. “I feel like you just have to tell yourself you deserve free time, and you don’t have to be working constantly.” Emma tells me that running your own business can be disheartening. With trends coming and going, it’s hard to keep up and it tends to bring on creative blocks for her personally. “One of my New Year’s resolutions is to give myself weekends off. It’s hard when you enjoy your work so much.”
The brand owner has many plans for the future of Hello Emu, which has begun with her Valentine’s Day collaboration with Emily from Emily Laura Designs, who she met during Art College in 2014. “We both work well together. She’s more floral and into painting and I’m into my pastels and hand cutting. We both use similar methods and materials though so it’s great to collaborate.” Emma has also released colourful beanies as part of her Valentine’s Day collection, which has been curated by both her and her mum, who used to own a knitting business. “They’re really fun to make on the knitting machine and It’s lovely to have something we’ve both worked on, she has a whole bank of knowledge.” Her plans also include expanding with online platforms and working with homeware. “I’m going to have a look at Esty. I think it would be great for exposure.” Design wise, Emma is looking at interiors and winter accessories. “I’ve always wanted to go into this, I’d love to experiment with pillows. I also love the idea of scarves and leg warmers, which seem to be big right now.” Take a look at Emma’s website below to see her new Valentine’s Day collection and keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming designer’s latest products. She’s certainly one to look out for in the creative industry as she generates some exciting new product concepts for the year ahead.
Head over to Emma's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/helloemu/ or her website https://www.helloemu.co.uk/ to find out more!