THE CALIFORNIA CLOSETS MAGAZINE
As the warm, comforting California sun shines through the original windowsills of Emily Current’s 1949 ranch house, amber incense fills the air, and layers of textile, including upholstered furniture and vintage-looking rugs and pillows, create a cozy, homey feeling that makes you want to curl up with a good book and a cup of tea. This curated, casual aesthetic likely stems from her childhood in Davis, California. “It’s a really beautiful landscape filled with horses, pastures and barns,” Current says. “It’s just a really beautiful snapshot of California agriculture.”
Current’s collection of Victorian cotton dresses are perfect for warm Southern California days. “Those are from somewhere in the turn of the century, she says. “I love that era.”
Current now calls Los Angeles home having graduated from UCLA in 1999 with a sociology degree despite initially being a dance major. Her welcoming grace and poise showcase her dance training that, like her small-town roots, influenced her early years. The brands that she co-created with partner Meritt Elliott, another UCLA alumna, share these elements of Current’s personality with a wider world: The Great, a line of vintage-inspired clothes with a decidedly cool girl, Americana vibe; and Current/Elliott, best known for creating the boyfriend jean, among other denim offerings. “I don’t know if I appreciated it then as much as I do now,” she says, referring to her original hometown of Davis. “But it influenced just about everywhere I’ve gone and everything I’ve done.”
"Everywhere you look, vintage pieces fill Current’s closet. “I have a love of vintage, for so many reasons — aesthetic, historic, the fact that you’re reusing something,” she says."
“I have a love of aesthetics, and my environment matters a lot to me — and what it looks like matters a lot to me. But it just has to be functional and casual and usable for me to feel comfortable in the space.”
One of Current’s favorite pieces, her Louis XIV-style couch, moved with her from her previous home (shown here) to her new home in the hills of Los Angeles.
I grew up with a dad who wore Levi’s and flannel shirts, and a mom who wore high-rise, wide-leg denim (jeans). There were a lot of classic, American brands that were staples in our house — Levi’s, Lee, Wrangler. I definitely borrowed from my parents’ closet. We didn’t have a fancy mall in our hometown, so I would shop at Tractor Trailer, a hardware store with traditional workwear, to buy different shapes of Levi’s, or at Goodwill, looking for vintage slip dresses.
We bought this house mainly because of the yard. We spend a lot of time running around. We just were playing croquet yesterday. We have a garden, and the kids, Wallis (6) and Lyle (3), go out with baskets and pick snap peas. The goal was to just spend a lot more time at home and outside.
I think what brings me comfort is familiarity, so nostalgic things really speak to me — kind of like the feeling you get when you’ve seen something before and it brings back fond memories. It's the same way with fashion, I really love jeans and a white shirt, and my home. I really like things that are worn and loved before me, or even loved by me or my family. Those are the things that I gravitate toward.
Probably being on the couch with my kids. We have a few couches, but my favorite couch that we have is this Louis XIV-style couch. It’s grand. It’s got engraved wood, and it’s upholstered in old French army canvas, so it’s this chill fabric. All the wood’s been stripped, but it’s kind of fancy at the same time.
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