Who We Are.
The driving force behind Emerald The Label is none other than Emerald Udoka.
A self-taught designer and seamstress since childhood, Emerald has long seen fashion as a language of self-expression—a way to turn imagination into art.
Born to Nigerian parents, Emerald spent the early years of her life in Nigeria, where her love for fashion began to bloom. As a child, she would sneak into her mother’s closet to rework old garments into new creations, cutting them up and hand-stitching dresses for her dolls. When she was gifted a sewing machine, she used it not just to bring her tiny designs to life but to help with the family’s hemming and mending—quickly earning trust for her precision and care.
The Woman Behind The Brand
Everything changed at age nine with the heartbreaking loss of her mother. Emerald and her family relocated across the world to Edmonton, Canada. It was there, a few years later, that a neighbor—an experienced seamstress whose children Emerald used to babysit—noticed her growing talent and invited her to learn the art of pattern-making.
By thirteen, Emerald had sewn her very first real garment: a cherry-red dress. She still remembers the feeling of wearing it with pride, soaking in every compliment with wide-eyed belief that maybe—just maybe—this dream could one day become her reality.
Years later, she earned her degree from DePaul University in Chicago, initially planning a career in law. But her passion for fashion never truly faded. She kept a sewing machine close, one she bought on Amazon, and continued designing quietly, consistently—until the dream could no longer be denied.
Emerald The Label was born from that quiet perseverance. It is a celebration of timeless femininity and refined strength—created to inspire women to embrace their truest selves, pursue their boldest dreams, and feel unmistakably confident every step of the way.