Emily Spray

Emily Spray

Originally from Portland Oregon, I moved to New York City in 1988 to study shoe making at The Fashion Institute Of Technology.   After finishing my studies there, I started assembling the tools I used in their design lab, in the living room of my tenement apartment on the lower East side--A bench grinder with sanding wheel, an industrial sewing machine, lasting pliers, a hammer and a collection of  lasts--the forms that shoes are designed and built on. I found that I was not just interested in becoming a footwear designer, I was good at making shoes and actually wanted to make them, which  I have been  doing ever since . These days I work from a studio in Long Island City where I design and produce all my products.

In 2004, I launched Chickpea Kid--my baby and children's shoe collection chickpeakid.etsy.com. People kept asking me why I didn't  produce the same styles for adults, so, I  made up a few styles in my own size to see how they held up stylistically and practically and found them to be super comfortable and durable. In fact, it's hard for me to wear any other kind of shoe now.

Being that I can't stop making things,  it is not much of a leap to go from shoe design to hats and handbags. All three have a sculptural quality to them that make them interesting to me. You will find a collection here, which follows the same principles of shape, beauty, comfort and usefulness.

I hope you'll make a habit of stopping by my shop to see what's new!

emily spray studios 917-573-2504 emmspray@gmail.com