With 2025 Collection, Emmiknit’s Founder Steps Out for the Evening
Crochet corsets adorned with freshwater pearls, wide-leg pants inspired by mariachi uniforms, and one-shoulder tops shimmering in silk and rayon—these are the pieces that will walk the runway at Emmi Paez’s upcoming fashion show in Mérida, marking a natural evolution from the resort wear that established the Emmiknit Handmade name.
The collection represents Emmiknit Handmade’s first foray into evening wear. Subtly sexy but still flowy and fun, Emmi is debuting intricate crochet corsets that take 25 to 30 hours to construct by hand. The structured garments are designed to look as beautiful on the inside as they do on the outside. One features a cascade of natural pearls across the shoulder. Another showcases an open lattice design in shimmering rayon.
“I’m stepping a little bit out of my comfort zone,” Paez says, examining one of the white corsets in her studio. “But this is something I would wear.”
The designer calls her new slacks “mariachi pants”—wide-leg trousers with crochet details running down the sides, inspired by the metal trim on traditional Mexican performance attire. Korean hanbok influences appear in the V-neck tops, while tassels remain a signature element throughout the line. The color palette stays coastal: neutrals that work with any skin tone and pair easily with jeans or white pants.
Models of all sizes, heights, and ages will wear the pieces—real women rather than typical runway models, reflecting Paez’s commitment to designing for diverse body types.
But the path to this collection started decades ago and thousands of miles away.
Paez grew up in Washington Heights, Manhattan, in a mixed Latino household. Her mother’s family came from Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic, while her father’s side originated in Santiago de Chile. She attended Bronx High School of Science, New York University and Hunter College, where she majored in economics.
Design was always her first love. “When I was a kid, I wanted to be a designer,” she recalls. “I didn’t really know what that meant, but I loved this idea of making something you could wear.”
Her immigrant parents had different plans. They steered her toward the academic track, and she spent the next two decades building a successful career as a data science leader at a Fortune 75 U.S. company. The work was soul-crushing, as she puts it, because “it was not my calling.”
“You go along to get along,” she says of corporate life. “You do things that you don’t necessarily love.”
Three years ago, while sewing her first samples in Mérida, Paez had what she calls an “aha moment.” She realized she had finally circled back to the passion she had set aside 30 years earlier. Now, she’s in a position to make choices she couldn’t before.
Her economics background and corporate training inform her approach to sustainable fashion. She focuses on natural fabrics like linen, which require minimal water and pesticides compared to cotton. According to research on sustainable textiles, linen is one of the least environmentally damaging fabrics and ranks among the most biodegradable materials in fashion.
“Fashion is kind of a dirty business,” Paez says, referring to the industry’s environmental impact and exploitative labor practices. “At my age, I want to make the best choices so I can feel proud that my name is on the product.”
She works with local seamstresses who patiently collaborate on her handmade pieces. With artificial intelligence threatening many creative fields, she believes handmade elements offer something machines can never replicate.
“I think about what fit needs to be, what utility needs to be part of the clothing,” she says, discussing pocket placement and pleats with the same analytical mind she once applied to corporate data. “Whether a person who’s a tiny size will look good in something, whether a person who’s a bigger size will look good in the same style.”
Similar to other designers working in Mérida’s growing fashion scene, Paez sees the city as the perfect place to launch a small, sustainable clothing business—challenging in some ways, but full of opportunity.
The fashion show will be part of a larger Yucatán Magazine reception on Tuesday, Nov. 18. Tickets for the general public are 800 pesos. Contact Emmi Paez at emmiknit@gmail.com for more information.
Visit emmiknit.com for more details on the clothing line and stores that stock them.
About Emmiknit Handmade
- Founder/Designer: Emmi Paez
- Custom orders available in any color and size at Emmiknit Handmade; prices vary
- All pieces feature handmade elements
- Her new collection includes crochet corsets, one-shoulder tops with freshwater pearls, and wide-leg mariachi pants
- Fabrics: Mainly linen, with silk and rayon
- Models represent diverse sizes, heights, and ages
- Contact Emmi Paez at emmiknit@gmail.com for more information.
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