FROM AN UNEXPECTED BEGINNING TO A NEW CHAPTER. FOUNDER SHBJRM REFLECTS ON THE JOURNEY SO FAR AND WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR FALL WINTER 26/27.
What started as a personal creative project in 2024 has grown into an independent fashion brand reaching customers around the world. But HOUSE OF EMRA was never really planned that way. And as the brand prepares for its next collection, some things are beginning to change.
I WAS ALWAYS INTO CREATING THINGS. I JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHERE IT WOULD TAKE ME.
I've loved designing for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I mostly drew faces and used lots of colours. Around 14, I started learning Adobe software and became interested in filmmaking. In 2019, I printed my first T-shirt and remember thinking, wow, it's actually pretty cool to wear something you've designed yourself.
A year later, I started EMRA FILMS, my creative project before HOUSE OF EMRA. It was the first time I received direct feedback on my work, and people seemed to like it because it felt different. Looking back, whether it was drawing, films or clothing, I think I've always just wanted to create something of my own.
MY FIRST CUSTOMER BOUGHT SOMETHING BEFORE I EVEN KNEW I WAS OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
HOUSE OF EMRA actually started by accident. I originally wanted to sell my artwork as printed posters. I announced the idea on my SHBJRM Instagram account, where I shared my short films, and created a separate account for the brand. Around 20 to 30 people requested to follow it, almost a year before anything was released.
Then, one random evening in April 2024, I was testing the online shop I'd been building myself. The website, designs, contracts, sourcing manufacturers, basically everything was done by me. I had maybe three or four designs ready, and nothing was really finished. I uploaded T-001, my first T-shirt, just to see if the store worked.
While connecting the shop to Instagram, I was asked to make the account public. I thought, yeah, why not? I completely forgot about those pending follow requests, so suddenly I had around 20 followers.
Not even ten minutes later, I received my first order.
I remember thinking, wait, what? Someone actually bought something? I wasn't ready at all. I didn't even remember what price I'd set for the T-shirt. So I basically had to finish everything by the end of the week and officially launch the store. And that's how it started.
NO PAID ADS. NO PAID INFLUENCERS. JUST PEOPLE DISCOVERING THE BRAND.
I've never spent money on advertising or paid influencers to promote HOUSE OF EMRA. I always felt that reaching people was something I wanted to do myself. I thought those who knew me from my short films would eventually discover the brand, and it would grow naturally.
And somehow, it did.
Fast-forward to 2026, and we're shipping orders to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, across Europe and even Australia. It's honestly amazing, considering how randomly everything began.
Of course, growth brings challenges. I'm still studying at university while running the company and working on the creative side of the brand. Sometimes it feels like managing three different worlds. But I think HOUSE OF EMRA came into my life at exactly the right time. It was something I really needed to do, and I'm happy I continued with it.
A NEW DIRECTION. WITHOUT LOSING WHAT MADE IT SPECIAL.
I've watched HOUSE OF EMRA grow, and I think Fall Winter 26/27 marks the beginning of a new direction. I'm curious to explore different ideas and, more importantly, see how people respond to them.
For me, a brand should evolve, experiment and try new things without forgetting what made it special in the first place. That's something I want to hold on to as we move forward.
There are also things we need to improve behind the scenes. One of our biggest challenges is production and shipping times. People understandably want their orders faster than we can currently produce them. It's something we plan to address at the beginning of 2027, with the goal of reducing shipping times by at least 50%.
But beyond the challenges, creating should still be something I enjoy. At the end of the day, I think that's what matters most to me.
As for the new collection, I'm excited. It's a direction I've been wanting to explore, and I'm genuinely curious to see what people think.
I GUESS WE'LL FIND OUT ON OCTOBER 25.
— SHBJRM
Founder, HOUSE OF EMRA
FALL WINTER 26/27 — SEASON 5
ARRIVING OCTOBER 25, 2026
21:00 CET