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Introducing Emma Cheyne

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CONTOUR GRADUATE SPECIALISING IN WETSUIT DESIGN

 

Emma Cheyne

Emma Cheyne

Emma Cheyne couldn’t be further from the coast if she tried having chosen to study at Leicester’s Demontfort University but, their Contour Fashion course is one of the best in the world and has turned out graduates who have achieved massive international success.  

Emma’s final collection is called ‘Creatures from the Deep’. Who hasn’t felt like a creature from the deep getting out of the water after a hard session with hair all over their face? However, Emma’s thinking was more along the lines of beautiful aquamarine colours of the deep. Though, the  unintentional double meaning will ring true to many surfgirls! 

I plan to meet Emma at the degree show but, unfortunately I have a skateboarding accident that leaves me housebound and it all goes belly up, literally. Emma kindly agrees to answer my questions via e mail and I’m going to meet her at Graduation.

emma 2emma 3

 

Did you grow up near the sea?   I grew up in Hull, East Yorkshire. About as far from popular British surfing towns as you can get!

When did you know you wanted to study fashion? I started studying textiles in year 7 or 8 at school and knew pretty soon after it was the area I wanted to go into. I didn’t discover the Contour course until I was actually applying for universities.

Are you a surfer or do water sports of some sort yourself? I’ve never surfed or done any sort of water sport in my life (unless manoeuvring a lilo across a busy pool counts?!) Although I am keen to have a go after this project!

What inspired this collection? I started looking into competitive swimwear at the beginning of my final major project, but decided to develop wetsuits and surf wear in particular after discovering a niche in the market for something that could perform technically without female surfers having to compromise on design and their personal styles. The initial inspiration for the aesthetic element of my collection came from photographs of an aquarium in my hometown – The Deep. I took inspiration for the panelling from the outer structure and my print designs came from my illustrations of the creatures inside.

What do you think of what’s on the market for women now? I was surprised by the lack of options on the market – most women’s styles were identical to men’s with only pink or turquoise details. What with the range of designers and brands like Nike x Liberty and Stella McCartney for Adidas producing on trend competitive sportswear these days I assumed the choice would be the same! I couldn’t get my head around the lack of inbuilt bust support either.

DMU Fashion and Contour has produced some world class talent – is this daunting or motivating? A bit of both! When I first started I could never imagine producing the sorts of things I was seeing in previous year’s final collections – I wouldn’t have known where to begin. But seeing where the course has taken people did motivate me to make the most of every opportunity.

What’s the dream for Emma Cheyne wetsuit designer?I want to work in the industry as a technical designer… I’d like to work for a global brand as I still have a lot to learn and I’m keen to travel! In terms of developing wetsuits, I want to try moulding the fabric and building in breast support so women don’t have to layer up with bikinis and sports bras. One day I’d love to see them produced using a body scanner and 3d printer for serious competitors, to make them really streamlined and give them a more personalised fit.

What are you doing this summer? Laying down, graduating and job hunting!

If you could go surfing anywhere in the world with anyone living or dead who and where would it be? I’d go somewhere like Hawaii because I’m a bit of a sun worshipper – though I’ve never been to Cornwall or Newquay and I’d like to go there too. I’d go with my friends who had to put up with me going on about odd things like surfer’s nipple, water flush and the difference between 2mm and 5mm neoprene for a good six months! And David Beckham.

I remember how sacry it was being 22 and coming out of  the bubble of University not having a clue what would happen or where I’d end up. Funny thing is 20 years later I still don’t.  Emma has studied one of the most highly regarded contour courses out there , as a non surfer but, highly skilled designer  she will be coming at this from a different perspective. She’ll be looking at pushing fabric, design and performance forward and I’ll be interested to see how her career develops.

Good luck for the future Emma! I hope one day we can take you surfing, keep in touch xx

you can contact Emma and follow her via

Twitter: @cheyneeeee
Instagram: @emsch21

Introducing people who are out there doing their thing, following their passion . Anybody looking for a platform to show what they are doing or fancies being introduced or girls trying to raise their profile for sponsorship or their business  please send me a message via the facebook page or to surfabella@gmail.com

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Plus Size Surf Model for a Day

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This year there’s been a lot of heated discussion within the online surf community about the representation of female surfers by their  sponsors and in the media. Coco and her naked surf, Anastasia’s twerking and as always Alana who is always guaranteed to divide opinion.

The girls have been criticised for doing steamy photo shoots and the negative influence this could have on young surf girls and  many see this objectification of female surfers as undermining their talent as actual surfers. Why aren’t they shown ripping in the water?  Others say leave them to it and stop judging as it allows them to continue surfing.

All  I know is that I cannot relate to the image that is constantly presented to me of what a woman who surfs looks like . I’m older, rounder and struggling to progress as I can’t surf as often as I’d like. I’m excluded by most brands due to their sizing which to me is madness, I’m not even that big, I’m a UK size 16 and there must be 1000’s of women like me who have money to spend.Luckily I’m older now and with the confidence that comes with maturity(41)  this exclusion does not affect me so much as it  makes me grumpy when I’m shopping for board shorts.

What I do dislike is some girl’s surf magazines publishing articles about bigger girls and women  being ‘brave’ and embarcing their size when the women they are celebrating are a size 12. Telling a young girl that wearing a bikini as a size 12 is brave or that it’s breaking the mould is just bloody wrong.  I’m not daft, I understand how it all works and  I don’t blame the pro surf girls themselves, they have to conform to the surf girl template if they want sponsorship that allows them to surf professionally.  I wondered though, how they felt about doing it and then I started thinking imagine if I did.  The thought of it made me really laugh to myself and well, that’s where it started.

BALANCING ACT 1The suprise shot of the 4 my happy face is all I see

 I employed my mate as chief (and only) photographer, and we headed down to Fistral on a sunny morning last week during our holiday there.  Of course we had no hair and makeup or styling but, for a laugh we set about mirroring some of the shots of the beautiful, famous surf girls. I thought this was purely a comedy project with maybe a little message to women about body confidence and that it would produce some Benny Hill type giggles . I was surprised to find that it was a little more meaningful than I imagined it to be.

ALANA CLASSICIt was so cold I forgot to do my hand on the back of my head and refused to go back in without a wetsuit! Clearly I’m a chunky monkey next to our girl!

 I’m clearly a bigger girl, I have lost a fair bit of timber since I started surfing 18 months ago in an effort to get fit and strong and to improve my performance and I still have some way to go. I’m about as far away from the gorgeous blond surf girl image you can get. I thought I’d feel insecure about sharing these pictures but, to my suprise it’s been quite the opposite and this is a huge breakthrough for me and my confidence.

I look at the first one, and all I see is a snapshot of happiness. There’s a memory of an amazingly,  fun,  surf session we had right after this picture was taken and how much laughing we did in the water that day. It’s a reminder  how utterly content I was being by the sea, spending time with my best girl friend.  I don’t look at my chunky little legs or folds on my wobbly tummy or think about how I wouldn’t be able to buy any cute shorts in the surf shops because I’m too big for them or about how every wetsuit I have has to be shortened because the makers think a size uk 18 woman is also 5’8 ft tall.  I look at my face and the light in my eyes, I’m so happy here and I feel beautiful. I’m at the beach and about to do the thing I love the most in the world and it’s written all over my face. I have never in my life seen that in myself until I saw this photograph.

I realised that I absolutely love these pictures. I’m not embarrassed about my body even though I’m far from perfect. I’m too consumed by  surfing to care. I’m strong, I’m healthy and I’m fit. I can lift heavy weights, run 13.2 miles nonstop and surf a long session without having spaghetti arms for the next 48 hours. I’m proud of me.  This is the body that lets me surf  and run and do the things that make me happy  so I blooming well should look after it and love it.

SNOG THE BOARDThis one was quite embarassing to do, I felt a right plonker

 If surf brands aiming at female consumers want a blurb to attract  female customers it should be something like this;  no matter your size or shape get out there and live your life, move more, strive to improve your health and wellbeing, do stuff, scream with excitement, swallow seawater and eat sand and laugh until it hurts. Be kind, encouraging and supportive to other girls and women and help each other , watch the sun go down, watch the sun come up, be outside as much as possible, stop wasting time trying to be perfect and start spending time creating perfect moments.  Maybe a  little cheesy but, so true!

MERMAIDhaha! More over  friendly seal than mermaid!!