Meet Emily Bode, the woman behind the beloved NYC brand creating modern menswear from artfully reimagined antique fabrics. Known for her interest in stories, it’s unsurprising to find that Emily is a collector of both miniatures and memories – infusing her work with her endlessly curious eye. Nibbling on a traditional cheese Bialy at her favourite Lower East Side haunt, we ask Emily about what her life and her art look like on a plate.

Dream guest for dinner? 
It would have to be my mother’s father. He passed when my mom was in college, before I was born. I’ve always been told of his favourite hobbies, what he collected, how he loved history and antiques, his favourite languages and places to visit... that we would have been so close. 

Nightmare guest for dinner? 
A very picky eater.

We read that you used to collect pogs! Is there anything that you still collect and why?
I’ve gone through many phases of collecting, but it all probably began with “smalls.” I always made miniature dioramas and vignettes of landscapes and domestic spaces. I would turn each shelf in my bedroom into a different world with my miniatures - most of which were antique or handmade. 

What’s your cure for procrastination? 
This has changed over the years, but with a common theme. Throughout college it was getting out and going to the library or the coffee shop below my apartment. My cure is still making a point of changing locations for different projects - like giving myself one hour to work from home, or finishing something on the plane.

Favourite piece of public art? 
I’m not sure if you would necessarily call this “public art” but it was a dream seeing Le Corbusier’s design of an entire city in Chandigarh. 

How would you describe your culinary tastes?
I’ve always preferred simpler, less seasoned foods - foods in their natural state. I could eat rice and beans, shellfish or sushi every day. 

What would you like to do that you currently can’t? 
I would love to do a month-long immersive language program. I never quite mastered a language in college, so this is something I’d love to make time for in the future. 

If the world was about to end, what would your last meal be? 
Spaghetti limone from Supper in the East Village, or Wellfleet oysters from Massachusetts. 

What's your lucky number? 
13. I always thought it was so cool as a kid that I turned 13 on Friday the 13th.

Favourite bar? 
Parkside is a dive bar in lower Manhattan which has been a favourite since I moved to New York ten years ago. It’s not the coolest bar, but almost all of our afterparties, late night birthdays and other celebratory events have somehow ended up there.

What can’t you live without? 
My family photos. So much joy and inspiration comes from the boxes of pictures I have from both of my parents. A few years ago I recorded my grandmother speaking about each photograph in one of her albums. I treasure those histories. 

Favourite restaurant and favourite dish?
I have a few in New York. Blue Ribbon Sushi’s amberjack and yuzu, Barrio Chino’s shrimp. But nothing beats eating a lobster roll off Route 6 in Truro, MA.