Meet more makers in the November/December 2026 feature.
Emily Gartner can fashion just about anything from fabric, so it’s not a total surprise to find her dressed in a blouse-and-pants set created from a white lace tablecloth once owned by Evansville resident Karen Ellerbrook.
Gartner doesn’t question if she’s an artist or a maker — “I am totally both,” she says. She’s sewn since age 12, developed her career working in fabric houses and New York City’s garment industry, and even created her own prints and showed them around the world. When she moved back to Evansville two years ago, Emily Gartner Designs took on a new purpose when residents began reaching out for help altering wedding attire. She once was used to a retail environment, but now “I like personal service, customizing, and focusing on one person and one family at a time,” she says.
Attention to detail is important, whether stitching through and anchoring eight layers of different fabrics or balancing the weight of heavy gowns. “Bridal really has become where I’m strongly rooted now,” she says.
A decrease in basic sewing knowledge among the public also means she does “tons” of repair work. She also refurbishes Singer sewing machines and has at least seven in her studio at Welborn Plaza, where she offers classes on how to thread, cut, and create. “I try to make it accessible for everybody,” she says.
She’s pressed pause on creating her own fabrics, working nights and weekends, lugging design samples to shows, and constantly shopping for materials. “I don’t really have to invest in a bunch of fabric. They’re bringing me a garment,” she says. With her studio and a steady stream of bridal work, “I feel like I have balance,” she says.
That’s a big change from when the COVID-19 pandemic halted her income stream from fashion shows. “For creative people, those were really some struggling years, and it was freaking me out. I didn’t want to live like that. … So, here I am,” she laughs. “Never say never!”
Second Act
When Michaela Pollard got married, Emily Gartner crafted a bridal headpiece and veil using lace and a Juliet cap that Pollard’s mother had worn at her own wedding in the 1970s.
