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At Dubai Fashion Week sustainable fashion stole the spotlight. On October 11, Eric Mathieu Ritter, Designer and Founder of the Lebanese fashion brand Emergency Room, unveiled the SS24 collection, ‘Neverland High’. The show was one for the books as there was a fresh take on upcycling and the ultimate surprise ending to the runway show at Dubai Fashion Week.
GRAZIA sits down for an exclusive interview with the mastermind behind Emergency Room, Eric Matthieu Ritter.
Ritter can be seen wearing his very own Emergency Room attire in the interview. So, what was his inspiration behind this collection and starting the brand itself? The brand started because Ritter believes, “There’s an urgency to do things differently when it comes to fashion.” Additionally, he stated that they focused a lot on upcycling but to try and find a theme for an upcycled collection for every season is “quite complicated.” That did not stop him. Arguably one of the most noteworthy shows of the season, Ritter combined rock and roll with the theme of education. “Another Brick In The Wall” by Pink Floyd was one of the songs that played during the show and it was so iconic.
Emergency Room is a brand with a cause at Dubai Fashion Week. Not only is it sustainable, each season Ritter tries to “focus on a social issue.” This season he chose to talk about education, which is because, as he says, “It puts people in boxes and not everyone has access to it.”
The show ended with a graduation ceremony and celebration in line with the collection ‘Neverland High’.
sustainable fashion meets a new perspective
Emergency Room breeds sustainability to create pieces that are stylish, environmentally friendly and are arguably unconventional. In this collection, they “used socks to make tops”, as Ritter noted. That’s not all. Emergency Room stayed true to their Lebanese roots as they used handmade crochet for pieces carefully crafted by women from Tripoli, Lebanon. They made revolutionary pieces out of materials such as wool and suiting materials.
GARNERing CELEBRITY ATTENTION
Julia Fox, a pioneer in out of the box fashion choices recently visited the Emergency Room boutique on a trip to Beirut. When asked how Fox represents the brand, Ritter attested, “She’s quite quirky and the choices she makes are not conventional, I feel that’s what we do as well.”
words of inspiration for future fashion designers
When asked about advice to future fashion designers, Ritter had plenty of noteworthy advice to give. “Focus on having a very long breath and be patient,” he said. He also mentioned that you should never go into anything without fully committing to it. Most importantly, he stated, “Find your own voice and just keep going.”
