Ema and fashion in the 20th century

Born in 1907, Ema lived in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, during World War I, only returning to Brazil at the end of 1919.

Over the course of this decade, Ema and her sisters continued their studies in Berlin and Bern, accompanied by all the cultural effervescence of the Roaring Twenties, marked by the introduction of jazz and African art, the strides made in cinematography and cruise ships.

After finishing her studies, Ema began accompanying her father on his travels. They stayed at luxury hotels at Alpine lakes, Paris, the French Riviera and northern Italy.

Beginning in 1948, Ema starts travelling internationally again, acquiring clothes at luxury stores in New York’s fifth avenue and the haute couture houses of Paris. She also embarks on her journey as a collector of art and antiquities.

Marked by the designs and construction of her new house, her involvement with the founding of the Albert Einstein Hospital and her participation in the main cultural institutions of São Paulo. Over this decade, Ema also went on several cruises around the world.

With the inauguration of her new house, Ema becomes one of the cities most important hostesses, developing her own style for which she becomes famous: the white streak in her hair, eye-catching jewellery, vibrant colors and prints and the frequent use of fur coats and stoles.

In 1970, Ema finishes construction of her house in the city of Campos do Jordão, where she contributes to the creation of the Winter Festival.

No longer able to travel as much as she used to, Ema continues to maintain her elegance and style, often using dresses created in partnership with the skillful seamstresses who worked for the elite of São Paulo.

Greatly shaken by the death of her sister, Eva, in 1991, Ema passes away at home, on January 27th, 1994, two days after her 87th birthday.