Emma Gudmundson lives in Washington State. She is originally from southern Sweden and currently works as a teaching artist at the Swedish School of Textiles located in Bellingham, Washington. Recently Emma has traveled to Denmark and exhibited her work there. Emma has designed clothes for Momena, Elan International, and Bleecker & West End. Her work focuses on feminine and textural aspects of fashion and femininity. Emma’s educational background is in the fields of education and visual arts, but she looks upon clothing design as a passion and sees it as a way to empower women.
With her two years of training in textile science and her two years of experience as a designer in the field of knitted fabrics, Emma’s goal is to bring people together through the art of knitting and to redefine women’s creative spaces through clothing. Her current project, titled “Age of Machines,” which she will debut in the fall of 2021, consists of creating fifty individual pieces that are all created using a zero Waste production approach. Each piece will focus on a different aspect of women’s lives: pregnancy, motherhood, working-ness, or love. Emma’s hope is that the creation of these garments can help women realize their full potential and in doing so give honor and respect to the different facets of their lives.
In her words, “an age of machines” will help “women find fulfillment in their careers and their lives,” as well as giving them “a sense of agency and empowerment.” This new project will also help her gain the confidence needed to pursue her own artistic vision. Emma’s approach to knitting domestic knitting machines is both futuristic and forward thinking. By utilizing this innovative method and integrating elements of fashion, poetry, and technology, she hopes to encourage other women to follow in her footsteps. “Age of machines” will introduce new technology and processes, while giving professional women an opportunity to expand their creative process and make unique, individual garments. It will be interesting to see what direction Emma takes in future endeavors.