Em Harmsen | emske

Em Harmsen has a deep love for design in all forms, she has a keen eye for detail and stays well informed about contemporary style, art and fashion.

Em freelanced for many years while working in the public sector, but decided to switch gears in 2021 to focus full-time on the studio. She dreamt about running a design studio while completing an undergrad degree in Fashion Design at Toronto Metropolitan University. It wasn't until years later while finishing a masters focused on inclusive/accessible design from Cultural Studies at Queen's University that she conceptualized the focus of the studio.

After being diagnosed with a chronic illness, Em better understood the experiences of temporary and nuanced symptoms, mobility issues and bodily changes. Learning from family members and friends with disabilities, chronic illnesses and all around diverse lived experiences aside from her own, has always improved how she approaches design.

If nothing else, she hopes that the ethos of this studio might create a conversation for people or spark a thought around fashion, creativity and style that otherwise may not have come up.

Hill Werth | Slow & Intentional

Born and raised in the U.S. Hill Werth is former pro athlete and internationally recognized trans non-binary mixed media artist and activist, using their art and voice to spread visibility, awareness, and representation to their community. From making guest speaking appearances at k-12 schools and universities to publications, Hill has had great success as an artist, athlete, and educator. Using various mediums, their creations are the result of emotions pouring out, transcending from personal experiences and endeavors. This allows Hill to achieve patterned layers of balance and composition.

Hill has a brand called Slow & Intentional. This gender neutral clothing line focuses on making apparel for those who experience sensory overstimulation and body dysmorphia. These custom tailored garments aim to make you feel more comfortable in this world when you don’t always feel at home in your body.

​​SPECIAL THANKS

Union Gallery and the designers would like to thank all the models and volunteers who participated in We love design, how about you? Adaptive & reconstructive fashion design for every body: Midhat mujaddid, Rene Hart, Gwendolen Hickey, Ren Challacombe, Bianca Cindric-Myers, Rachel Chase-Thomas, Kaelyn Banse, Madeleine Vigneron, Kelso Pearson, Zahara Groenewald, Celestina Onabajo, Ruba Elhassan, Maggie Whitmore, Alex LaMorre, Anna Karami, Ashley Miller, Inès Le Courtois, Kale Clark, Pooja Gill, isabella bazzano, Sophia Galbraith, Flynn Eves-Welch, Yoskan Haile, and Ayesha Shehzad