Emme Parsons
Interview by Jennie Edgar
Photo by Dimanche Creative
March 1st, 2022
For Emme, words are important.
The founder and designer of the eponymous footwear line spoke to us about expanding perceptions and the joy of (re)reading with her children.
“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.”
From The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Tell us a bit about who you are and what you do.
My name is Emme Parsons and I have a line of eponymous footwear that launched in 2017. It was a farfetched dream of mine to create sandals for years and I started the line when my son was a baby because I wanted to be a good role model for him never be afraid to follow his dreams.
All of our shoes are made in Italy and the team is spread across France, New York, Florida, and Los Angeles. We’ve always had a really organic and collaborative approach to work and design which has helped foster creativity.
What books have been important to your creative practice?
I read The Alchemist on my first work trip to Italy. The theme of fulfilling your personal destiny will always resonate with me. I started my brand with no experience or background in footwear or shoe design – it was at that point simply a dream that I wanted to pursue wholeheartedly. I spent several hours jetlagged in the middle of the night rereading and underlining passages. One of my favorite passages is “When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.”
When has reading truly moved you?
I try to read books that expand my perception of life and work. I love all of Malcolm Gladwell’s books, especially Outliers. The final chapter where he describes the story of his own life including his cultural legacy as a Jamaican and the perseverance, hard work, and good fortune of his family moved me deeply.
It serves as an important reminder that no one is successful without the help of others and allowing yourself to focus on limiting beliefs will never allow you to succeed.
I read Outliers right before I had my daughter in September 2021 and we have been fortunate enough to have had several strong Jamaican women help us raise her. It felt very full circle to me and coincidentally it helped me rediscover my old collection of dancehall and reggae records.
Tell us a time when someone gifted you a book.
My friend, Thessaly La Force sent me a package of books a years ago. It was such a treat to have a well edited curation of some of her favorite novels at the time including Territory of Light by Yuko Tsushima, Normal People by Sally Rooney, and The Far Field by Madhuri Mijay.
What books have been worth re-reading?
This year I reread The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe with my six-year-old son, who was just able to grasp more complex storylines at the time. Seeing the world of Narnia unfold through his eyes was such a magical experience.
The overarching themes of forgiveness and sacrifice moved both of us and it was the first and hopefully not the last time we were able to bond over fiction.
What’s exciting to you right now?
I’m obsessed with The Debrief, my best friend, Lauren Sherman’s new podcast. Each week she takes an in-depth look at a Business of Fashion Professional story with the writer. My favorite episodes to date have been “How Luxury Woos the World’s Biggest Spenders” and “How Vacation Clothes Became Big Business.” The stories discuss secondary cities in the US, including Palm Beach where we moved in 2020, and how these cities are becoming more attractive to luxury retailers and the extravagant, creative methods big brands use for customer retention.
What are you looking forward to reading next?
To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara. Her writing is so beautiful, but her stories are filled with a sense of sorrow and they shine a light on some of the worst qualities of humankind as a precautionary tale.
“It serves as an important reminder that no one is successful without the help of others and allowing yourself to focus on limiting beliefs will never allow you to succeed. ”
