My full name is Emilie, friends call me Emi, and I sign my work with IME.
I am evenly Swiss and Austrian, just as I am as much a Designer and an Athlete.
I started upcycling my used goalkeeper gloves into unique pieces a few years ago because I didn't want to throw them away. I was too emotionally attached to the memories they represented. This exploration quickly evolved into a passion and brought my into Industrial design. This interest in upcycling has also become the foundation of my creative values throughout my studies: design with waste or innovate to limit it.
After finishing my Industrial design degree and starting a Master in Merchandising & Apparel design, I decided to start playing football professionally yet still wanted to continue pursuing my creative journey. Nowadays, I spent most of my spare time creating, collecting lost memories, and developing this project. With the grateful help of my family/friends who have helped me grow the project. Without their help, I would still just be creating stuff for myself.
IME.'s Vision
Every goalkeeper glove, football shoe, shirt or shin guards holds a personal story. Whether you wear your own memories or perpetuate the ones of a stranger, we want to make these memories live on in a unique way and save them from becoming "dust-collecting" objects or even waste.
Each unique piece is carefully handmade with my grandma's old sewing machine. Every additional material used besides the threads has been collected from "waste". Each pieces is customizable and highly personal, encompassing a unique story and personal memories.
These unique pieces are on the verge of art and design. Functional statement pieces. Fighting the unsustainable habits of the fashion industry while commenting on our overconsumption.
IME.s vision is to creatively merge sport, fashion, and "waste".
IME = sport & personal memories + social responsibility + fashion & art & design + handcrafted quality & customization