MERSEA PJ Artist Feature: Emily Taylor
Comfortable Floral Pajama Sets Inspired by Designer Emily Taylor
Over the Cotton Moon PJ sets are what dreams are made of. We are all about soft, airy pajamas that keep us chic even in our sleep. We wanted to introduce you to the artist behind these inspiring, colorful, patterns.
Here’s a sneak peak into the creative works and life of Emily Taylor (@emilyillustrates).
When did you first become interested in art?
As a child I was determined to be a fashion designer, and spent endless hours obsessively drawing out silhouettes. I think that is one of the reasons I love designing print for apparel, it feels like my childhood dreams are coming full circle, and I do still think about one day designing those fashion flat silhouettes too.”
What inspires you as you continue to create new art all the time? What do you do about creative blocks?
“Oh gosh, my mind loves to run away with me haha! Especially when it is held captive with a project, it loves nothing more than to scurry away and whisper new things to draw and new collections to make when I’m tied up with other work. Colour usually triggers print collection concepts for me — a particular blue, a delicious nostalgic egg-yolk yellow and I’m off, daydreaming a series of prints that get added to my lists of prints and illustrations waiting impatiently to be realized.”
Do you have a favorite place in the world? Where?
“Easily Canada’s east coast (Prince Edward Island & parts of Nova Scotia); it’s a place I spent my childhood summers, and home to a large part of my family.
Setting foot on maritime soil, you feel the tension leave you, your jaw unclench, your breathing slow. It feels like coming home, and a part of my soul always lives there. The fusion of nature and habitation, the sensory experience, the palette and the aesthetic of seaside living are so deeply inspiring.”
If you were a pattern, what pattern would you be?
“Oh this is a tough one! Hummingbirds, amid a riot of colorful blooms. My grandmother, mum and I have an affinity for hummingbirds, and have spent a lot of time quietly watching them. I often feel like I’ve a bit of a hummingbird mind (some would call it ADHD haha), with an unquenchable thirst for color and my brain flitting quickly from one idea to the next, to the next, to the next—diving into the details, preferring the closeup view of a moment, a memory, a creative work.”
What is your favorite quote?
The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper. W. B. Yeats.
How do you feel you align with us at MERSEA?
“When I think of MERSEA I think of sunshine dancing on waves, and the slow relaxed breath one exhales when by the sea, drinking in the salt breeze.
Collaborating with MERSEA feels much akin to that dancing sunlight. We both share a love of lighthearted imagery and uplifting color, and an appreciation of nature’s beauty. I deeply admire the relaxed elegance inherent in all MERSEA creates, and their endless commitment to the smallest of beautiful details (those sweet floral quotes on the inner PJ tags! That lovely ribbon trim!).
It’s a joy to collaborate with such a brilliant, creative, female-led team of kindred spirits, sharing a mutual love of color and print work.”
