Emma Gage is doing things differently. The Minnesota-born designer followed her fashion dreams to New York City ten years ago, but never lost the sense of her hometown that makes her world of MELKE so unique. “I’m bringing Minnesota to New York City,” Gage exclusively told our Editor-in-Chief Laur Weeks amidst the bustling presenation. “We’re missing that ingrained hospitality…so I mixed that feeling into the brand along with my ten years in New York. I’m bringing New York into the Midwest; that’s what makes it [MELKE] so warm and welcoming.” The brand itself is even named with a lighthearted reference to her upbringing, as the Minnesotan pronunciation of "milk” often sounds more like “melke.”

She’s absolutely nailed that sense of Midwestern hospitality in New York, too — guests at the MELKE Fall/Winter 2025 presentation happily mingled, chatted together, and admired with open jaws the absolute detail that Gage brought to the MELKE Supper Club. Sponsored by Hidden Valley Ranch (an entirely unforeseen and equally bold choice,) the Supper Club brought together those in fashion open to something new, built for everyone. Colour play with jewel tones and bright hints in cheeky threaded designs such as a fish platter make for a warmly joyful yet wearable collection. A sense of hospitality with a New York edge — MELKE melds the impossible together for genuinely unique pieces that almost feel vintage, when fashion was more about expression of one’s own personality rather than following watered down trends season to season in today’s viral environment. Gage certainly deserves a seat at the table in New York’s brightest emerging designer names, and she’s taken the head chair through building out her own wildly wonderful Supper Club and MELKE universe.

Gage told No Alibi, “I chose ranch because I just knew I wanted to do a Supper Club theme. I wanted to integrate that with a partner — and then thought of a tater tot hot dish recipe that’s actually on the back of one of this season’s designs.” We just had to ask: how did she end up with a gargantuan ranch fountain on the table? “As for the ranch fountain, I just had an idea and asked. [Hidden Valley Ranch] answered immediately and said, ‘great, we have one and we’ll ship it to you,’ which I absolutely had not expected. They sent the fountain, and ranch powder for it to flow.” Before that, Gage hadn’t even known that ranch powder existed — a testament to trying new things and making magic happen.

The magic of MELKE lies in its playful demeanour. Using fabric as a form of expression, Gage tailors garments in fun ways that are still accessible. Standout cardigans with new cheekily themed embroidered motifs each season, a dress made entirely of wooden pencils from her Spring/Summer 2025 collection, silverware such as spoons turned into jewelry and brooch embellishment pieces, ranch-motif sweater vests, and immaculately pleated breezy patterned skirts make up the MELKE DNA. Models’ beaming smiles and lighthearted interactions felt genuine. After all, how could anyone feel morose in a sweater and skirt set covered in a pattern of bright blue and green ranch dressing bottles?

MELKE’s Hidden Valley Ranch Supper Club made us hungry…both for more from MELKE and for our own supper. We asked MELKE mastermind Emma Gage what her plans were followinng the close of her successful Fall/Winter 2025 collection debut at the Supper Club. Perhaps to be expected, Gage told us she has casual dinner plans with her close family to celebrate. After all, no one knows how to do a warm welcome and a wholesome celebration quite like a Minnesotan.