THE DESIGNER
EMBLEMM’s founder & designer is Prague-born Matěj Maňák who launched the brand in 2015 wi th the first product , a silk scarf with Prague motive. He attended art school along elementary school studies and got back to design in ear ly twent ies wi th the idea of launching his own fashion brand. After two and a hal f years in London working in luxury fashion depar tment store Har rods, he came back to the Czech Republic to start working on the first women’s and men’s ready- to-wear and handbags col lect ion which he presented in 2017.
“ I love to design bold conversation pieces. If it turns heads or makes you want to discover more, then it’s EMBLEMM.”
THE BRAND
Contemporary Czech brand creating responsibly made conversation pieces since 2015, EMBLEMM’s designs are conceptual , often inspired by music culture. The brand creates designer clothes, bags and accessories for both
women and men that want to stand out and express themselves strongly through their outfits. Produced locally in the Czech Republ ic or at the neighbours, all products build on high quality craftsmanship and responsibly made European materials.
THE COLLECTION
The starting point of the EMBLEMM 2.0 collection is the vintage microphone that adorned the clothes at the first show in 2017. It was also given to selected guests in the form of an invitation. Matěj Maňák draws a lot of inspiration from music culture and has transformed this element into an organic Liquid Mic pattern during the pandemic, where each microphone has its own personality highlighting individuality and natural imperfection. At the same time, it continues the brand's philosophy to create dialogue and provoke interaction.
This pattern, as the highlight of the collection, greeted guests on 40 meters of suspended fabric lying on a Steinway piano. This jacquard of recycled polyester will be used to make bags and accessories after the show. Liquid Mic is on the highest quality, responsibly made materials. In Como, Italy, where Matěj Maňák personally visited the workshop, the pattern is printed on GOTS certified organic cotton and organic silk. The fabric for bags and accessories is then woven from recycled polyester in Naples in a factory where they have specialised in such fabrics for the second generation and where designs for Gucci or Fendi are created. Jacquard adds a unique complexity and luxurious feel to the products, while the metallic fibres of lurex have a sheen that the microphone has in reality. At the same time, the design is thought out so that there is as little waste as possible during production.
The clothing collection built on the foundation of the shirt as a piece of clothing with a range between the very formal and the streetwear level. The women's and men's section includes one unique outfit, which the brand uses to push its boundaries towards the luxury segment. The show closed with a black wool dress with 1238 hand-attached silver studs and hand-embroidered PRECIOSA beads. The men's part of the show closed with an outfit featuring a dark blue formal shirt with abstract hand embroidery, which Matěj Maňák consulted with British designer Christopher Watts, who was involved in the haute couture collections at Dior during Raf Simons' tenure.
In the new collection, EMBLEMM presented two key products: the The Tone Bag and the Up My Sleeve Bag crossbody bag. The Tone Bag, aptly named as it sets the tone for the brand's aesthetic, was launched at Czech Design Week in 2015. For the new collection, Matěj Maňák redesigned and refined it. However, it retains its timeless design and shape. It is offered in two variants. The simple version is made of grained leather from the south of France, which Hermès uses on Birkin or Kelly and calls it Clémence. EMBLEMM is the only Czech brand to use this leather. The second variant, The Tone Bag, is a limited edition in smooth Italian leather decorated with 156 silver studs arranged in an Equalizer design.
The Unisex crossbody bag Up My Sleeve Bag, which builds on ideas and the creation of dialogue, is an asymmetrical bag, reminiscent of a blazer sleeve, finished with three buttons and is also made of smooth Italian leather and Liquid Mic jacquard.
EMBLEMM manufactures its products mainly in the Czech Republic and in neighbouring countries, with the mission to preserve and push forward Czech craftsmanship.