Emerge by Jen Inspires Through Custom Skirts and Colorful Statement Earrings

Jennifer Walsh lives by the mantra “Don’t be afraid to be yourself.” The Gilbert designer believes in this sentiment so much that it is also the mission statement for her clothing and jewelry brand, Emerge. “I grew up being really quiet and shy,” she says. “I was pretty insecure and didn’t feel like I fit in anywhere.” Though she says she was never savvy when it came to school, sports or socializing, she was always adept at making things. At first, however, she was timid about selling them. In 2016, she “emerged from her shell” and started posting her custom skirts and colorful statement earrings on Instagram. Within six months, they were so popular she had to create a lottery-style drawing for each batch of skirts. “Do I think that buying something I make is going to fix someone’s insecurities? Absolutely not,” she says. “But what if it helps give them the push to start walking past all that fear in themselves? Well, that would be pretty amazing.”
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