Emma Gage founded MELKE on the idea that fashion could be both a celebration of self and a commitment to the world around us. Infused with color, memory, and joy, the brand has become a space where individuality is always at the forefront. That ethos has led the brand into unexpected territory, like its recent collaboration with Hidden Valley Ranch, blending humor with nostalgia in true MELKE fashion.

MELKE is celebrating 5 years! What was your initial goal when creating the brand?
It’s incredible to look back and see that MELKE is 5 years old. When I first started, my goal was to build a brand that celebrated individualism, craftsmanship, and sustainability. Watching that vision grow and transform into something greater than I ever imagined has been truly inspiring.

How has the brand evolved since its launch?
In many ways, it has evolved quite a bit, and in others, not much at all. The core ethos has always remained the same: community, celebration of self, and joy.

The clothing itself has seen more transformation, especially after the second year, when I went through an explosively colorful phase with pieces like the crocodile dress and skirt from the First Impressions SS24 collection. Today, our palette has become more neutral, while the silhouettes lean toward classic shapes. I’ve also learned that our customers are especially drawn to paired separates and suiting, so I focus more on those now, whereas in the beginning I designed quite a few dresses and coats.

Still, I like there to be a thread of continuity. Even now, you’ll find elements that connect back to my very first collection, the coordinate shirt, the fish, motifs that will always remain part of MELKE, because those roots never change.

The Midwestern supper club is such a unique and creative source of inspiration. What drew you to it and what were the first ideas you wanted to bring into the collection?
With each collection, I’ve found that my inspiration often comes from memories or moments of joy. For this one, I was reflecting on the experiences that shaped me into who I am today. I grew up in Minnesota and later built my adult life in New York. With this collection, I wanted to bring a piece of my childhood into the city and share that Minnesotan side of myself with others. Supper clubs were a huge part of my childhood especially during trips up to the cabin and weekends spent with my grandparents. To me, they represent comfort, community, and connection. I wanted to capture that feeling and invite people into the supper club world through MELKE.

How do you maintain the balance between your “seriously unhinged” designs and creating wearable pieces?
I’ve definitely moved away from the “seriously unhinged” side of things. As the brand has matured, so have I as a designer. What once felt unhinged now reads more as elevated humor, subtle, tongue-in-cheek details filtered through a sophisticated lens.

I balance that playfulness by grounding the designs in classic silhouettes, so there’s always a sense of familiarity. A blazer with a spoon affixed to the back, or a flare trouser in an interesting plaid, these pieces work because they blend nostalgia with novelty. For me, it’s always about striking that balance between the unexpected and the wearable.

The Hidden Valley Ranch collaboration is a very unexpected twist. How did you approach incorporating ranch into fashion?
It actually felt like an easy puzzle piece to fit in, ranch is such a big part of the Midwest, and this collection was rooted in Minnesota. With Hidden Valley specifically, we pulled from the bottle’s color palette and the nostalgia of their ads, weaving those references into our prints. If you look closely at the collection, you’ll also find nods to a classic Minnesotan dish called Tater Tot hotdish, which uses ranch powder. We added crocheted tater tots and hand-drawn hotdish ingredients onto sweaters as a playful ode to the coziness of Midwestern food traditions.

We also created a hand drawn HVR Bottle to use as a print on a cardigan and sweater vest, that easily connected to our brand's nostalgic design ethos.

What story are you trying to tell with this collection?
For me, this collection is about sharing the story of community and comfort that I grew up with in the Midwest. The Midwest has a lot to offer and is overflowing with creativity. Too often, people dismiss the region as the “flyover states,” but I wanted to bring Minnesota to New York and immerse people in the fun, welcoming, and wonderfully quirky environment that shaped me

What role does color have in the designs?
Color has always played a central role in my designs. Over the last three collections, I’ve found myself gravitating toward palettes with a subtle ashy undertone. Our pinks have become more muted, the blues carry a soft ashiness, and the purples reflect the gentle hue of dusk. I’m intentional about softening the colors because I know it can sometimes feel overwhelming to incorporate color into an existing wardrobe. At MELKE, our hues often function almost like neutrals, carefully chosen to make adding color into daily dressing feel effortless and approachable.

Both the Midwestern supper club and Hidden Valley Ranch evoke a lot of nostalgia for some. What are some of your favorite memories since launching MELKE that you will look back on?
Definitely our first runway show. The number of people who came together to create such a special moment is something I’ll always hold dear. Another memory that stands out is when I built, painted, and delivered a picnic table for a presentation in the sunken living room at Spring Studios. I remember lying awake at night wondering if I could get it to fit into a U-Haul. Thankfully, I did.

I’ll also never forget hand-dyeing sweaters in my apartment, or the time my studio was overflowing with 100 plants for our First Impressions runway show, and my team somehow still managed to work while surrounded by a makeshift jungle.

It’s both the little and the big moments, the funny, sometimes stressful moments between shows, and the joy of creating together, that I’ll look back on most fondly.

"Minnesota Nice" and “New York grit” are very different. How do those things meet in the MELKE world?
The meeting point is balance, an unapologetic embrace of identity and self. It’s about being gentle and helpful, while also knowing your strengths and boundaries. It’s confidence and bravery. At MELKE, this translates into a celebration of showing up as yourself and sharing carefree joy with others.

You partnered with Hidden Valley Ranch, a very unexpected collab. If you could partner up with any other brand in the future, which one would it be?
When partnering with unexpected brands, I always look for some element of the “expected,” shared values or a connection to the inspiration. Hidden Valley Ranch, while unexpected, was a perfect collaboration because of the Supper Club inspiration and the Midwestern connection. Beyond that, their customer base is unapologetic in their love of ranch, and the brand itself embodies carefree joy and authenticity, which aligns perfectly with MELKE.

Looking ahead, I’d love to continue exploring collections inspired by Minnesota. I could easily see partnering with a pontoon company or a fishing lure brand, something playful, rooted in that Midwest spirit, and full of personality.

How do you bring your sustainable values into practice when designing a collection? What specific sustainable choices did you make this season?
I like to think of sustainability as an evolving journey. Every season, I learn something new that helps me make better, more thoughtful choices. For me, sustainability means caring about and knowing the people who help bring my clothing to life, sourcing as locally as possible, and being intentional with the materials I choose to use and purchase.

This season, I worked with deadstock materials and prioritized local production, practices that are central to MELKE’s approach. Each decision reflects our commitment to creating beautiful, wearable clothing while minimizing environmental impact and supporting the people and communities behind every piece.

What does the future of MELKE look like?
Reaching five years as a brand is such an accomplishment. Looking ahead, I see MELKE continuing to expand our pop-up strategies and custom clothing offerings. I also want to dedicate more time to our community and customers, who have been the heart of what MELKE has become. One thing is certain: we’ll continue to celebrate individuality, joy, and creativity in everything we do.

Interview by Sabine Obermoller, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Tearsheets by Daniel López, Art Director, PhotoBook Magazine
Photo Credits:
Photo Credit: Chad Moon
Creative Director: Emma Gage
Production: Bacchus
PR: Lindsey Media
Stylist: Cara Benevenia
Hair: Aveda
Makeuo: Michelle Webb for Augment
Footwear: Ecco
Jewelry: Sequin Jewelry & Mercer Street Shop

MELKE Blends Humor with Nostalgia