Emily Costa

Fashion Design - BA (Hons)

Dear readers, I’m a young fashion designer that goes by the name Emily RyAn.

This is an alternative name I have given to characterise my alter ego. She is “Fierce”, a persona so confident and unapologetic about herself that expels aggressive and unfiltered femininity.

My brand’s mission focuses on the feeling and experience you get when wearing the clothes, rather than the actual clothes itself. You’ll find that my designs are a little risqué with subtle punk references, this is because I enjoy using items that are associated with femininity by the patriarchy such as corsets, bras, lingerie, etc and reclaim their meaning by adding punk’s rebellious personality to them. I like to base my work on social and political issues particularly the ones that involve Women and promote it on a controversial level that will create a reaction from my buyers.

My shows should be looked at as protests because Emily RyAn is determined to start a new ERA, one that actually celebrates Women and their rights.

This project, in particular, focuses on Women’s sexual liberation and was inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe’s flowers paintings which resemble female genitalia.