Out on her own for the first time, Emily Burnett has lined up some well-placed investors for the new Burnett New York ready-to-wear, cocktail dresses and eveningwear line.
In June, Burnett exited Dennis Basso after a 10-year run. She inadvertently met her future cofounder and co-chief executive officer Sterling McDavid at the designer’s company. Pre-fall will be the first collection for the new label.
McDavid said she visited 20 couture houses in search of a wedding gown, before deciding on Dennis Basso, where Burnett was working at the time. “My experience at Dennis Basso with Emily, Dennis and the whole team was so positive, uplifting and I felt that I was part of this design process,” she said.
McDavid’s understanding of fashion started with her great-grandmother, who was a seamstress. Her mother had a keen interest in fashion and took McDavid to her first fashion show around the age of 10. Over the years, McDavid got to know numerous designers through her network, as well as her mother’s, but she said Burnett stood out. So much so that McDavid asked the designer how was it that she was not working independently. Like many designers, the idea of starting a signature company was something
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