smile at your sister: 2011-12

we believe in the small things and in inperfection. they are perfect because they are not. as from now we will introduce small labels which are outstanding because they are made with love. where it's not about masses and money but good vibes and freedom. maria ferres is the perfect girl to begin with. with her label ema - protect your smile she combines all mentioned attributes and brings a mix of urban savyness and mountain innocence at once.

i make

neckwear to protect people's smiles

i do it because

destiny brought me the opportunity and I love it

there´s something captivating about you and your label. how did you become such a bright and positive person?

I grew up in barcelona in a big, big family surrounded by happiness and considering love, respect and effort as core values. I'm so lucky my family loves nature, sports and of course the snow. I think the combination of my family's strict education and my wild soul made me who I am today. being happy every instant is my life's goal.

when did you got in touch with the snowboard scene for the first time? maybe not an easy thing for a spanish girl?

it was maybe 12 years ago when I started spending my winters in andorra. I can proudly say I've been part of the snowboard evolution in spain. nowadays it's really popular and snowboarding is understood as a lifestyle and passion but when I started to discover the snowboard scene it wasn't that easy and even more so for a spanish girl.

was your label planned or did it just happened like many good things do?

EMA just happened. I never planned something like this. I started creating my own designs and people started asking about it. meeting riders like marc swoboda or dominik wagner, who were really stoked about my neckwarmers and wanted to wear it also helped to start spreading the word around. finally a really bad injury in my arm made me change my life plans and gave me time to think and decide to start it for real. I guess that's what I love about EMA, every day and every step is a surprise :)

EMA - Protect your smile from Ema Protect your smile on Vimeo.

please tell us a bit more about the production process.

starting a new collection means improving the last one. I like to ask my riders and customers how they feel wearing the products and then I start thinking about the best way to improve it, but it's all about style, function, design and comfort. choosing styles and designs is amazing. I really love it. I just try to get inspiration everywhere (street, art, nature, fashion, people …) and try to find original and unique designs. I love textures and colors, that's why I say you can feel the difference wearing, touching or looking at EMA. EMA is a really young company. I take care of everything but I get some help for the production. everything is handmade in barcelona.

when we think about ema we see many bright shining faces. how do you choose your family members? 

all the riders in EMA's family must have this special spark inside. it's just happy people in love with snowboarding. I think above all I need stylish riders spreading good vibes and smiles around the world.

it seems you travel a lot. what´s the most beautiful thing about it for you?

I love traveling because it makes me feel free. I love getting lost finding my way around, discover places and cultures and meeting amazing people on the road. but I really hate saying bye when I have to leave, I'm so bad with that …

what do you believe in?

I believe in destiny.

destiny decided you might be the happy owner of one of ema's handmade bandanas soon. all you have to do is to visit our facebook page and tell us what makes you smile.