Superpower: Making ideas materialize
Founder, House of Rouse, Edgington Studio, and Wheeling Fashion Week
Emily Rouse was just a middle school Girl Scout when a field trip introduced her to a sewing machine and sparked a passion.
After earning degrees in fashion design and business management, Rouse moved to New York City, where she gained experience across nearly every corner of the fashion industry. But instead of staying there, she brought that expertise home to West Virginia.
Today, Rouse wears many hats. She founded House of Rouse, a womenswear line made in the U.S., and opened Edgington Studio in Wheeling, where she manufactures garments for emerging designers and teaches sewing classes. She also serves as a textile industry consultant, helping launch a new outdoor gear manufacturing facility and workforce development program in Beckley.
Rouse is the founder of Wheeling Fashion Week, a nonprofit that celebrates circular fashion while giving designers, models, photographers, stylists, and other creatives a platform for showcasing their work close to home.
For Rouse, it’s a personal mission. Growing up, she didn’t believe a career in fashion was possible in West Virginia. Today, she’s working to make sure the next generation sees a different future.
“I’ve realized I can create the opportunities I was looking for,” she says. Whether it’s launching a business, designing a garment, or organizing a fashion week, Rouse enjoys the process of turning a concept into reality. Looking ahead, she’s focused on strengthening the organizations she’s built, expanding access to sewing education while continuing to show that creative careers can thrive in West Virginia.
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Since 2014 WV Living magazine has been honoring West Virginia Wonder Women, amazing women who are raising the bar in their communities, serving as beacons of light in their industries, and forcing change for the greater good. WV Living is proud to celebrate these Appalachian mothers, millennials, and mavens proving that in a time full of uncertainty, divisiveness, and hate, love for one another is all we really need. No need for bulletproof bracelets or a golden lasso of truth—these women are creating a better West Virginia with their can-do attitudes and Mountain State spirit.
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