Dedicated to the craft: Ohio State fashion student juggles business and courses - OSU - The Lantern

Emily Zigo wearing a “just be kind.” shirt and handmade earrings from her fashion brand, EZMI. Credit: Courtesy of Emily Zigo

By day, Emily Zigo is just like any other student committed to her courses. But by night, she transforms into a businesswoman, designing and bringing her fashion ideas to life. 

Zigo, a fourth-year in fashion and retail studies, launched her business EZMI in August as a place to share her creativity and appreciation for art and design, according to EZMI’s website. Zigo’s vintage and retro-inspired brand features handmade work such as jewelry, printed T-shirts, totes, stickers and mugs with prices ranging between $8-$40.

She said she hopes to parlay her success into a design job in the fashion industry.

“I want my designs to inspire and allow people to express their creativity through decor and accessories,” Zigo said.

Zigo, from Zanesville, Ohio, said she decided in high school that she wanted to go to Ohio State, but it wasn’t until later that she realized she wanted to go into fashion. 

“I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do,” Zigo said. “I knew a few fashion majors who were already in college. I saw some of their projects and I was like, ‘That seems like something that I would like to do.’”

What really got the ball rolling for Zigo were the two entry-level product development classes — apparel product design and branding and apparel product development and technical packages — she took that taught her how to present herself and her brand online. 

“I don’t know if I would have a business if I didn’t take those classes because it’s kind of what made me realize that I wanted to design things and sell them myself,” Zigo said. 

Alex Suer, a senior lecturer in the College of Education and Human Ecology, was Zigo’s professor for both classes. She said Zigo’s attention to key details and her unique vision makdes her a talented artist. 

“What I love most about Emily’s work is that it’s just very original. It doesn’t look like anybody else’s. Any time her work would pop up, I would know it was hers’ immediately because of the colors. She likes this kind of retro, vintage vibe,” Suer said. 

Zigo is now a teaching assistant for Suer’s apparel product design and branding course, where she first discovered her interest in creating a business. 

“She’s definitely cream of the crop and top of my list,” Suer said. 

Hannah Mayle, a second-year in marketing and longtime friend of Zigo, said Zigo’s talent goes further than her business. 

“She’s been a very big inspiration for me,” Mayle said. “She’s the reason I minored in fashion.”

By having a desk for schoolwork and a desk for business work, Zigo is able to keep her two work lives from clashing with one another. 

“I learned you have to keep things separate and really just focus on one thing at a time or you’re going to get too overwhelmed,” Zigo said.

Zigo said she hopes to open a shop in Columbus in the future. 

“My ultimate dream is to have a physical location. Maybe not just my products, but other small businesses, like a collaboration kind of store,” Zigo said. 

For Zigo, the biggest concern for starting a larger business is customer satisfaction. 

“I just really want to make sure that what I’m sending people is good quality and that they’re not disappointed with it,” Zigo said. 

Zigo said she hopes to go straight into the fashion industry after college, which only about the top 10 percent of graduating students at Ohio State are able to do, Suer said. 

“Emily falls into that top category where I’m very confident she can walk right into the industry after graduating because she took the basics that we gave her and then ran with it on her own, and really goes above and beyond in my opinion,” Suer said. “So starting her line and doing all these other things I think will just make her super unique and I think she will be able to walk right into a retailer and get into drawing and designing.”  

EZMI products can be purchased at styledbyezmi.com.

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