The designer behind one of New York's favorite rising labels dives into her design philosophies, the brand's buzzy limited-edition runs, and what lies ahead.&nbsp;

PHOTOGRAPHY&nbsp;Jacq Harriet
STYLED BY&nbsp;Trinidad Alamos

Emily Dawn Long does what she wants—and she looks cool doing it. That has always been true for the Georgia native, who grew up thrifting while her peers shopped at Hollister and Abercrombie &amp; Fitch, and preferred to spend her summers redesigning her bedroom. “I would just get bored, and I think that’s how I got into creating a space and my own world,” says Long, who still vividly remembers her Limited Too–inspired interiors complete with orange and pink ruffles, zebra lampshades, and white wicker furniture.
At 16, she landed a job at the hometown store Wallpapers &amp; Stuff, which inspired her to enroll at Savannah College of Art and Design as an interiors major. She quickly pivoted to fashion and textile design, eventually landing jobs at 3.1 Phillip Lim, ATM Anthony Thomas Melillo, and Jill Stuart after graduation. From there, she spent “.25 seconds” at Vogue before joining Purple Magazine under its founder and Editor-in-Chief Olivier Zahm. When Purple moved to LA, Long followed—and soon found herself styling celebrities after a chance run-in with Amber Heard, who complimented her dress at Cafe Stella.
“Everything has been organic,” Long says of her decision to launch her namesake label in 2019, complete with the logo she originally created as a college senior at SCAD. Before the brand existed, she was making custom tie-dyed and hand-painted pieces for friends. That quickly morphed into an online business, with her small collections selling out in minutes. “I literally started with drops, and I’m still doing that now with vintage T-shirts.”
Those vintage tees, emblazoned with seasonal slogans like “Spoiled Boys” and “Bug Me”—an EDL-ism frequently heard around her studio—have been worn by Pedro Pascal, Justin Bieber, Zendaya, and Demi Moore, and continue to sell out. But they represent only one facet of the Emily Dawn Long universe. At the label’s Chrystie Street studio, visitors will find accessories (including the cult-favorite Wanda hat), interiors, Ready-to-wear pieces like the Dammit Janet dress (named for her mother), and everyday objects ranging from shawls to hair clips. “Nobody comes into the studio and leaves without buying something,” says Long.

NAINA: Coat and pants EMILY DAWN LONG Shoes JIMMY CHOO

The brand’s appeal is testament to the designer’s unmistakable personal style and her belief that getting dressed is a form of self-expression. “I personally never liked wearing something that everyone else has,” she says, pointing to the limited 100-piece runs of everything she makes. “It’s not a You can’t sit with us thing; I just want it to be special. When it’s gone, it’s gone, and we make something new.”
Until now, Long has operated according to her own schedule, releasing collections and limited-edition one-offs whenever inspiration strikes. But with a spot in the 2026 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund and her first official New York Fashion Week presentation this September, that approach is beginning to evolve. “Ultimately I’m working on one bigger collection per season to help explain the brand as a whole,” she says. “And the rest of the year is just me having fun.” When it comes to how she hopes the EDL world is received, Long is less interested in dictating a specific image than in creating a feeling. “I would hope that it makes people smile or laugh,” she says. “As long as everyone is having fun, that feels like a win for me.”

MODELS:&nbsp;Naina Agorot MARILYN NEW YORK and Lola Bebe THE INDUSTRY MODEL MANAGEMENT
HAIR:&nbsp;Ginger Leigh Ryan using ROZ HAIR
MAKEUP:&nbsp;Sophie Hartnett using MAC COSMETICS
MANICURE:&nbsp;Mamie Onishi SEE MANAGEMENT using CHANEL BEAUTY
PRODUCED BY:&nbsp;Emily Adar
PHOTO ASSISTANTS: Juan Cuartas Rueda and Evan Odiorn

Inside the Emily Dawn Long Universe

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