Fashion Jewelry Brand Emma Pills Channels A Joyful, Youthful Spirit

At 23 years old, Emma Pillemer has already made her mark on the jewelry world. The designer launched fashion jewelry collection, Emma Pills in 2020, where her colorful, irreverent styles garnered the attention of Australian retailers online. Her rise continued at Australian Fashion Week, where in 2021, Pillemer became the youngest designer to showcase her work. By 2022, Emma Pills expanded globally with a second warehouse in California and coveted retail spots at Revolve and Anthropologie.

Pillemer’s creative journey began as a young dancer, where she beaded tutus for competitions across Australia before going on to star in Made In Bondi—a spinoff of Made In Chelsea—where her jewelry played a key role. Today, her pieces reflect that same vibrant energy – one of color, whimsy and joy. A devoted “Swiftie” and passionate philanthropist, Pillemer donates 50 percent of proceeds from her Candy OG earrings to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, honoring a cause close to her heart.

We sat down with Pillemer to explore the inspiration behind Emma Pills and the next phase of her journey.

What inspired you to create Emma Pills and how did the brand begin?

I come from a family of self-empowered strong women, who have always loved jewelry, styling and creating, but price and color developments was definitely one of the main reason why I created the brand. I found myself struggling to find designs I loved.

I love expressing my individuality and style through jewelry. Color delivers a women’s sense of individuality and confidence in their everyday lives and I struggled to find these kind of designs so designed my first pair of earrings- the OGs in different colors and after they sold out decided to follow my dream and focus on designing.

How would you describe the core aesthetic of Emma Pills?

Emma Pills has a unique aesthetic driven by my passion about fashion. I enjoy designing and creating pieces. I love vintage fashion and jewelry, so I definitely draw inspiration from that. Jewelry Its definitely the ultimate fashion accessory for every woman.

Vibrant colors are embedded in Emma Pills aethetics and DNA. Over the years, I have also evolved and developed a love for minimalism but have combined my love of color with creating minimal pieces with a vibrant feel. Every piece in the collection exudes confidence, which I feel is really what the aesthetics of the brand is – confidence in every piece. As I always say “Wear Emma Pills for increased confidence.”

Can you describe your design process? How do you translate inspiration into a tangible piece of jewelry?

This again is something I love and evolve through time. What doesn’t change is the way I see design and where I draw my inspiration from. I will always start with an idea, a piece, a shape and I will then add color or texture. I will then sit down with the team after I have a set base collection on paper with colors, shapes and ideas as well as names. I think names for my designs are so important and help tell the stories. We will then sit and start sampling and building collections. These ideas often spiral into something bigger or sometimes just leads me to more design development.

Are there any particular materials or techniques that you feel define your brand?

Definitely the use of color, enamels, combining different metals and colour finishes. We use recycled metals to create new designs. These elements define Emma Pills.

Do you have a personal favorite piece or collection, and if so, what makes it special to you?

It’s so hard to choose. I feel like my creations are like my children. My first design will always be sentimental to me. The OGS are an easy, stackable earring to wear and available in lots of colors. They became a bestseller on Revolve. I love nothing better than spotting someone wearing my pills. Today in New York, I saw a gorgeous lady wearing the Square AF Capri earrings. It’s a woven finish on a square stud inspired by beach chairs in Capri. She looked so good, so today they are my favorites.

Have you noticed any cultural shifts that are influencing the way people are thinking about or wearing jewelry today?

I think in an overly saturated market, people want to stand out with something to style that pulls an outfit together. The Sunkissed Necklace (a textured shell on a chunky chain) pulls any beach-to-bar look together. My Red Hot Hearts earrings or necklace give a pop of red to any outfit which is so empowering.

What’s next for Emma Pills? Are there any upcoming collections or collaborations on the horizon?

I want to do more, design more, bring out exciting innovative pieces. I don’t want what’s already out there. I’m all about creating fun, confident designs and I honestly think that’s what Emma Pills is all about. We don’t want basic jewelry. It’s all about exciting jewelry.

I recently designed the Pearls n Pills Collection for my sister’s wedding. It is a very beautiful, bold pearl and crystal design with recycled shiny silver.

How do you see the brand evolving in the next five years?

It’s been over three years since the launch of the brand and I feel the brand is evolving everyday. It has always been about layering, stacking and loving bold jewelry. I think my plan for the next five years is to bring jewelry that’s innovative to people who have the same love of jewelry and fashion as we do. That means new markets, more pop-ups, more collaborations and a design evolution. The next five years are filled with goals. I’m confident we are on our way to achieve them.