TAILOR PROFILE SERIES: EMILY CARRIG
Style /
July 2021
The Tailor Profile Series made a stop at our Levi’s® store in Portland, OR. Lead Tailor, Emily Carrig sat down with us for a little Q&A and shared some of her recent work, passions, and how she got started as a tailor.
I thrive on portraiture. Capturing a face and translating it into such a lovely craft is the best part of my day.
What is your role and how long have you been with Levi’s®?
Emily: I’m the Lead Tailor at our Levi’s® store in Portland, Oregon. I’ve been in
this position for the 15 months I’ve been at Levi’s®. I’m one of eight Lead Tailors in
the U.S. market.
Emily: I grew up always crafting. After my undergraduate courses, I started my journey taking night classes in sewing while working for a University in the administration department. I then secured a role making prototype shoes for the Advanced Product Creation Center at Nike HQ. This position continued my desire to create and be innovative, which I’ve applied to my current role. I’ve always had a desire for collaboration, which led me to seek out a Tailoring role so that my job was more of a partnership between myself and the client. This kind of environment makes me the happiest.
What is your specialty as a Tailor?
Emily: I thrive on consumers bringing in their own logos and creating it on the chainstitch machine. I love recreating images. I thrive on portraiture. Capturing a face and translating it into such a lovely craft is the best part of my day.
What is your first memory of Levi’s® or the moment you fell in love with the
brand?
Emily: My passion for working with my hands started with my grandfather. He was
a carpenter who always wore Levi's®. His character reminds me to constantly be
striving for my personal best. Levi's® always reminds me of reliability and
durability. These are personal traits that I hold very dear, which is why I respect the
Levi's® journey and product very much.
Emily: I would say so! I hardly ever throw anything away, and the staff at Portland Levi’s® can attest to that! Since we do so many repairs, I hold on to every piece of denim I can, so when I need to do a repair, I can find the perfect color to match! My advice would be to think outside the box! Do you have a lot of scraps? Maybe try quilting!
What inspires you to start your day?
Emily: The knowledge that every day is different. We see lots of different consumers with differing styles and it’s always loads of fun to push the envelope and see what we can come up with to truly customize garments. I also thrive in environments where quality comes above all else, and I’m constantly encouraged to do my best.
Who inspires you as an artist?
Emily: I love people and their stories. When I was young I painted portraits
and I find that people still hold the most intrigue to me. I love doing portraits
on the chainstitch machine, as well as dialoguing with local artists and
helping their vision come to life. I feel like everyone has an artistic
contribution to give, and it’s really lovely to see people want to embellish and
craft something amazing out of a cherished item.
Emily: We have a lot of valued repeat clientele that live near the shop. My goal is always to make everyone feel special, and that starts by remembering their name and greeting them every time they visit. I take great pride in knowing the community.
What is your favorite destination to travel?
Emily: I adore going to Estacada, Oregon and going on trail runs. The
atmosphere is so lovely and getting out of the city is such a nice change of
pace. Setting up a hammock after the run, sitting in the sunshine with my
knitting is the most lovely thing.
Emily: Alessandro Michele for Gucci. I love all the colors and the playful knits! One never wonders over whether a garment is Gucci and I love that screaming of brand identity. Playful bugs and animals and colors all over the place. I love clothes to be fun!
What is your one Levi’s® garment you can’t live without?
Emily: The Engineered Balloon Jeans! I bought too large of a size, so I executed a waist adjustment service. It created an even more exaggerated silhouette, which I just love. Pairing them with my handknit sweaters creates such a fun look!
“I thrive on portraiture. Capturing a face and translating it into such a lovely craft is the best part of my day.”
