The Local: Emiliya Budinova
The many lives of Ema, and the world she has made at Studio Vintage.
An athlete by training, an artist at heart and a thrifter by instinct,
Ema refuses to fit neatly into one role. She shoots conceptual photographs and self-portraits in unexpected places, rollerblades at speed, pole dances and has spent years turning her love of clothes into a world of her own. She’s been thrifting since she was ten, and around 95 per cent of her wardrobe has been assembled from second-hand finds. Five years before our conversation, she brought her two passions together: photography and thrifting. She began photographing clothes on herself and reselling them through Eima.vintage. The combination worked. Two studios, plenty of learning on the job and even more determination later, Studio Vintage emerged, built without sponsors, mentors or a ready-made set of instructions. Her philosophy is simple: if you can see something clearly in your head, you can make it real. You just have to jump. Asked which objects she couldn’t live without, her first response is, “But I can live without all of it.” She has love and faith. Everything else, as she puts it, “you can get at the shopping centre.” Or at Studio Vintage, of course.
My phone
Terrible, isn’t it? But my work involves constant communication, social media and running accounts, so my phone is always with me. Almost everything to do with Studio Vintage goes through it. I’m off to India now, for example, and I’m planning to switch off a bit. The girls at the studio will manage. But how could I go without a phone?
Mum has to know where I am and who I’m with.
Some things are unavoidable.
Cowboy boots
I’ve become seriously obsessed with cowboy boots over the past two years. I’m not joking: summer, winter, festivals, the street, everywhere. They’re comfortable, they look great and people are always turning to look at them. Which, incidentally, is excellent advertising for Studio Vintage. I’m my own walking advert.
I like clothes with character
that make you feel good when you wear them. Though if I’m being completely honest, going barefoot is still my absolute favourite.
My Fugglers
Yes, those ugly, colourful keyrings. I started with one, and now I have more than 40, with the collection still growing. I add them to my outfits almost every day. I don’t think I’ve left the house without a Fuggler in months.
Sometimes I have two or three on my bag.
They’re like little talismans, as though there’s always someone beside you, cheering you on. Or they’re simply a brilliant splash of colour. Either works for me.
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