Have Your Angel Cake and Eat it Too
Interviewing Emily North, the queen of Substack
Chatting with Emily North felt like meeting your new best friend in the line for the bathroom at a bar. Though we met at one p.m. rather than a.m. and were both fully sober, our conversation had that giddy excitement of a blooming friendship with a gal who just gets it. I discovered Emily and her Substack,
, a few months back and have been consistently inspired and in awe of her fresh takes and intelligent observations. In the Angel Cake universe, capitalization is optional, internal exploration is encouraged, and fun is always a given.Before Emily and I even officially got to talking, she pulled an interview switcheroo and asked me about my favorite film costumes. I knew then that we would get along swimmingly. Keep reading to hear all about Emily’s thoughts on Prada, going to the movies alone, and what she has planned for the future.
KS: Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How did you get interested in fashion?
EN: I grew up outside of Philadelphia. I say this in job interviews a lot, but I can’t exactly pinpoint when I knew I wanted to work in fashion. It’s always been innate. My grandmother was really stylish in a glamorous way that wasn’t tied to wealth. She worked the makeup counter at my local Bloomingdale’s. I became obsessed with fashion through her. She loved Chanel and she worked at the Chanel counter, so I became obsessed with Chanel and then I started researching fashion shows on style.com. RIP. It was like my Bible. And thank god I was a young person when the internet was around because I just fell in love with fashion shows through it.
KS: Speaking of the internet, how did you end up on Substack? Have you always wanted to write?
EN: I honestly didn’t think I would ever write even though I always loved to read. But I’ve always known in the back of my head I could write and have thought maybe I’ll write a book one day, but as a tangential thing that I could never imagine actually doing. I randomly started my Substack one day and thought it would be a great way to use my brain critically, in a way that’s not tied to work, but that’s also restorative. I can write and be off my phone and think about things not tied to work, but in a “productive way.” And I just ended up loving it and finding it really natural.
KS: My favorite thing about Substack is that I get to write whatever I want, whenever I want. There’s no editor and no one to please.
EN: I don’t think I even necessarily understood until I started writing my Substack that if I had to submit this to an editor, it would be very different. It would sound different. I wouldn’t be able to write exactly how I want. And so I really value that freedom.
KS: This is probably a hard question, but do you have a favorite piece you’ve ever written?
EN: I wrote an ode to the King of Prussia Mall, which was so niche and didn’t necessarily do well numbers-wise, but I loved it because it was so special to me. And I think it was written well. I am proud that I wrote that and I feel like it was cathartic in a way. That being said, it was a hyper niche. Outside of that I really liked writing my one about ways to find inspiration other than Pinterest.
KS: I’ve read that one. That’s a great one.
EN: Good! A lot of times when I write, which I’m sure many people can tell by the way I’m writing, I am figuring things out as I’m writing. It’s really therapeutic for me to write things that I didn’t even realize I was thinking about. It was inspired by me wanting to not spend so much time on my phone and it was a nice way to ground my journaling. It was a learning experience as I was writing it.
KS: Do you have favorite newsletters or writers?
EN: I subscribe to Emily Sundberg’s
and . Viv is incredible. She writes really well and has great fashion. I also love my friend Angelina’s and . I loved reading Emilia’s work when she was at The Cut, so this is a great extension of her. by Madison Huizinga is so smart. Oh, I also love . Nora always has really good eBay recs. I mean, maybe don’t read if you’re trying to save money because I always end up buying things.KS: What is exciting to you right now?
EN: That’s such a good question. Movies are really exciting to me right now. I just saw Challengers a couple weeks ago and I was really excited. I’m falling back in love with movies, it’s such a beautiful way to consume art. I’m really attracted to the finality of the movies lately and I also am really passionate about going to the movies, especially going to the movies alone. I don’t know why there’s any stigma around it because it’s the best activity to do alone. No one’s looking at you, you just sit and you’re in a dark room and then you leave.
KS: Ugh, I am obsessed with going to the movies too. Now I want to ask you some favorites. Do you have a favorite designer?
EN: I’m going to cheat and say one designer, two brands. But Miuccia Prada, so Prada and Miu Miu. Season after season, they’re my two favorite shows. I have a list of my favorite shows and it’s full of ‘90s Prada and Miu Miu, but even from the past couple of years. They’re both so good at being their own brand in a way that feels true to them and that isn’t necessarily about following a trend.
KS: Favorite piece of clothing?
EN: My grandmother had a really old beaten-up Chanel bag. When I was in either middle school or high school, after my grandmother passed away, my mom said we had her old Chanel bag tucked away in a closet somewhere and I was like, We need to go right now and find it. It was covered in mold and we had to get the leather cleaned and all that. But it’s definitely one of my favorite things. It’s visibly very beaten up, but it’s just such an important part of my background and it shows who my grandmother was. She would love to wear a beaten-up bag because it was important to her, it didn’t have to be in pristine condition.
KS: Do you have a favorite era of style?
EN: That’s a hard one. I really appreciate all generations and there’s not one era that I’m like, ew, that was bad. As of now I'm really into the simplicity of ‘90s minimalism. There’s a Prada Fall/Winter ‘97 show that I love and could wear every single day. I’ve also really been drawn to ‘60s mod at the same time. I love a mini skirt, love a shift dress. But again, I kinda love them all, which I know is a bad answer and maybe I should narrow it down to find my personal style. But I think I just get really excited about every era.
KS: Do you have a favorite style icon? A person who embodies what you want to dress like?
EN: The first one coming to my mind is Zoe Kravitz. She dresses really feminine but in subversive ways. I’m drawn to things that are feminine, but then I’m worried it feels too serious. I honestly tend to dress pretty preppy, but it can feel very literal and too much like preppy WASPy style, which doesn’t align with the ethos of who I am. I think Zoe Kravitz does a good job of wearing something like ballet flats, but then there’s a subversive element that feels really cool and very worn-in and very lived. Thoughtful without being too contrived.
KS: What are some of your favorite films for the fashion?
EN: My favorite movie off the bat, number one, is Clueless. Emma is my favorite Jane Austen novel, so I love that it is tied to that. I also connect with Cher in a lot of ways, which is maybe concerning on my end end. But growing up, I just found her very smart, even though she's supposed to be clueless. I love Lady Bird, really any Greta Gerwig film I tend to enjoy. I just saw Paris, Texas for the first time.
KS: Oh my god. You have the bob!
EN: I know! I remember seeing images of the movie in a book one time and have always been meaning to watch it. And then I finally watched it and it was just so incredible. I love The Devil Wears Prada. The costumes are unsurprisingly great, the acting’s great, it’s just a great film.
KS: Do you have a dream designer purchase that you’d love to make someday?
EN: I would say my dream designer purchase is a vintage Chanel tweed jacket and skirt set. That would be quite timeless and chic. I would love the skirt to be really short so it feels fun. I think it marks whatever special event you have, it’s the perfect outfit to wear for a birthday or a work accomplishment or an engagement party. It just always seems like the perfect thing to wear and it will always be in style, so it’s a great investment.
KS: Do you have an idea of what color it would be? Or is that up to the universe?
EN: I think that might be up to the universe. It would probably have to be black, white, or a red. But honestly, whatever the universe wants to put in front of me once I have thousands of dollars to blow, that would be great.
KS: What goals do you have for the future? You mentioned writing a book.
EN: I really feel like I’m at a good place in general and I just wanna continue to grow. Writing-wise, I want to continue to write my Substack. No matter how big or small it grows, I always want to do it. I would love to write at least one piece for a publication or magazine that I’m really proud of. And then I would love to throw a Substack party in the future. One of my best friends, Angelina, also has a Substack and we have been writing a lot together and I just love doing that. I want to continue to write more with her and write in a silly fun way that’s rooted in a very beautiful friendship. I also want to live here forever because I love New York so much.
KS: New York forever!
Make sure to follow Emily on Instagram @emilynorthh and subscribe to
.As always, thank you for reading Sohm Body <3
-KT
really loved the conversation ! emily is so smart and this interview i think highlights the playfulness of her creativity. good shit 🖤
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!