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Emily Zahniser

Sewist and Upcycling Expert

Emily Zahniser is a Sewist based in the Pacific Northwest. She designs and sews garments from vintage and antique textiles. Passionate about sustainability, Emily gives new life to discarded and forgotten fabrics, including upcycling home textiles like bedding and table linens, or deadstock bulk fabrics. Through her fashion brand, Saint Clairs Scissors, she carefully sources, cleans, and mends vintage fabrics, crafting one-of-a-kind pieces that blend nostalgia with a modern, timeless twist.

Education

  • Graduate, Columbia University’s Manhattan School of Music
  • BA, Music, University of Washington

Professional Achievements

  • Emily has had multiple careers prior to creating Saint Clairs Scissors, working as an opera singer, an opera director, a marketing and communications expert, and as a writer
  • Freelance writer, specializing in sustainable building and design practices in residential architecture, sustainable everyday practices for the busy homemaker, and topics in sustainable and circular fashion
  • She’s been featured in mulltiple publications, including Oregon Home Magazine, Atomic Ranch Magazine, Portrait of Seattle, and the___thread
  • Emily is a semi-self taught sewist, and combines her passion for vintage fashion and slow fashion style through her brand, Saint Clairs Scissors.
  • Saint Clairs Scissors garments are one of a kind, crafted of antique and vintage textiles

Favorite Piece of Advice

Creativity and art are vital to expressing the human condition, and fashion and personal style are no exception – the key to keeping this creative expression valid is through the lens of minimal material impact.

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