In the Works 001: The Fashion Show Producer, Off-Duty

American garment craft was built on workwear. Plain Jane New York was built on that same foundation, creating the modern wardrobe essentials that working women actually need. By women, for women.

IN THE WORKS is a series about the women who get things done. Each edition goes inside her working wardrobe, where she goes, and what she wears through all of it.

For our first edition, I met with Emmanuella Mascolo at her home in NoLita. It's a loft that's full of natural light, overlooking downtown Manhattan.

When I walk in, pastel colored sheets are hung across her living room (a makeshift fort). There are hundreds of strands of pink tinsel across every doorway, amongst many other party decorations including, but not limited to, two avant garde floral arrangements, handmade party hats, finger sandwiches in the shape of butterflies, and a paper crown with “32” drawn on it.

She's been prepping for her best friend's 32nd birthday/going-away party since at least the night before. She's also lined up a team of vendors (fellow party guests) and assigned out various tasks based on their skill sets. I was in charge of a veggie platter shaped like yet another butterfly and beet-dyed hard boiled eggs arranged as flowers.

Over the top? Yes. But it wouldn't be the first time Emma has produced a feature-film-level event for a close group of friends. Take her annual Friendsgiving, for example. More elaborate than any family Thanksgiving I've ever attended, and somehow more impressive every year. There's always a 20-plus-pound turkey that's carved table-side like a scene straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting. If Norman Rockwell had a Tumblr in high school.

I'm here to capture Emmanuella in her element. Visiting her when she's actually on-duty is a bit out of the question. Emmanuella primarily produces fashion shows… think Matthieu Blazy's debut Chanel show on a New York City subway platform, and Burberry's Winter 2026 runway when they recreated London's Tower Bridge in a 19th-century fish market.

So, it should come as no surprise that if an event is going to have her name tied to it, it's going to be one for the books.

Once setup for the party was complete and before the guests started to arrive, I sat down with her to talk beginnings, big moments, life in New York City, thoughts on personal style, and what comes next.

On Work

Plain Jane New York: What do you think about when getting dressed for work?

Emmanuella Mascolo: Functionality over anything because I'm on my feet all day. I want to be comfortable. I go for a very simple but chic look. Simple, comfortable, and timeless. It's not Devil Wears Prada over here where I'm changing into heels. It's definitely not that side of fashion, which I really do appreciate.

PJNY: Where did your love of fashion come from, and how did that eventually translate into an actual career?

EM: Growing up, I was surrounded by really stylish women. My mother and my sister-in-law to name a few. From a young age I just wanted to get dressed up. That desire never went away. To this day, I love collecting beautiful pieces and putting together a look. One misconception people have is that I work directly in fashion, but what I actually do is produce the shows themselves. Taking them from concept to completion. It involves so much planning, creativity, and problem-solving, and that's honestly what makes it such a cool and unique experience.

PJNY: How did you get your start as a fashion show producer, and when?

EM: I fully stumbled into this industry. I majored in psychology, and shortly after graduating I moved to New York City with no clear idea of what I wanted to do. Then, through a friend of a friend, a random opportunity came up to work as a PA on a Tom Ford show. That was my very first show. Intense, chaotic, but extremely rewarding. Something about it just clicked. I could see how much room there was to grow, and I wanted to find out what I was capable of. That was eight years ago, and here I am.

PJNY: What's been your favorite project or show so far, and why?

EM: I've done so many incredible shows recently, but if I had to choose, it would probably be the Chanel Métiers d'Art show in the subway station. The location alone was incredibly challenging, and that's exactly what made it so rewarding. My favorite shows tend to be the ones where we're really pushing the boundaries creatively. They're almost always the hardest to pull off, but the outcome is something truly beautiful. It becomes a piece of art, and I feel so proud to have been a part of it.

PJNY: What does a typical production timeline look like behind the scenes?

EM: It really depends on what we're executing. Every show is different. Sometimes we're starting from scratch. Scouting venues, navigating the creative process from the very beginning. Other times, a client comes to us with a venue already booked and a contract signed, or they have an in-house creative team that's already handled that side of things. Then there are all the other moving pieces: street permitting, dinners, after-parties, performers. The scope of the show dictates the timeline. It can take anywhere from four months to a full year. I've had years where I'm producing six shows, with multiple overlapping in a single season. That level of chaos requires a lot of organization on my end which still cracks me up, because I am so Type B. But this job has forced me to be Type A whether I like it or not.

PJNY: What's the most chaotic or unexpected thing that's ever happened during a show?

EM: There are many I can't talk about and honestly, some of the funniest stories I have will have to stay off the record. But I'll give you one: I once had a model get arrested and not show up on show day. That's just the nature of this job. No matter how much you plan, something is always going to present an obstacle. Even when we're working with the same client season after season, something unexpected will come up. There are so many vendors, so many moving parts. Weather, celebrities, last-minute asks that would genuinely shock most people. Nothing surprises me anymore.

What makes a good producer is being quick on your feet. Most of this job is putting out fires, and the biggest thing I've learned is to never bring chaotic energy into a problem. I stay calm. Not just for my own sake, but because if I'm calm, the client is calm. The moment you start to panic, so does everyone around you. Instead, I just say, we're going to figure this out and we always do. It always comes together. It always looks beautiful. There's just a lot that happens behind the scenes that the audience never sees.

PJNY: Where do you see yourself in the next 5–10 years?

EM: I've already had the incredible opportunity to produce shows in Paris (in French) for an entire year. That was one of the most challenging experiences of my career, but I'm so glad I did it. There are still some couture shows I'd love to produce, and anytime a brand wants to do something in an unexpected or outrageous location, I'm always in. That never gets old. Producing a show in Asia is also on the list.

Looking further ahead, I can see myself gradually moving away from fashion and into events that are more art-focused — museums, galleries, exhibitions. Music is another world I'd love to explore. Some of my favorite events I've worked on have been intimate performances, and the idea of eventually doing a festival feels exciting, even if it's a completely different beast. What I know for sure is that I'll never go into TV or film. I love live events. You get one shot, and then it's over. There's nothing quite like that.

On Style

PJNY: What makes an outfit feel like you?

EM: You have to have something ugly to make a good outfit. You can't just put like all one brand together. It needs to be something a little weird and unexpected, and then it makes an interesting outfit. And that would be how you know it's a me outfit.

PJNY: What's been in heavy rotation in your wardrobe lately?

EM: My Plain Jane t-shirt, obviously. No, but really, I will pair this with little white shorts, jeans, skirt, really anything. Change the accessories up. Layer. Love layering.

PJNY: What's one more piece that's not your Plain Jane tee lol?

EM: I just got little black Khaite shoes. And again, dress it up, dress it down, put socks with it.

PJNY: What's your favorite way to layer lately?

EM: Well, now it's hot and you can't layer when it's like hot out, but that's why I love the fall. That's why I love winter. I would put like a dress over this. I would put another t-shirt over this. I would do a sweater and then let the top peek out. Super fun.

PJNY: Favorite vintage or shopping spot?

EM: I'm not inspired to shop in person. I have to shop online. Vestiaire, The RealReal, Poshmark, Depop. But I'm really good at Vestiaire.

PJNY: You've been in New York for a while now. Coming up on a decade. How has your style evolved since moving here?

EM: I try not to get sucked into trends… well, maybe a little. But I think the real shift happened around 29. That's when I stopped chasing trends and just started dressing for myself. I got here at 23, and it took a few years to figure out what that actually meant. Now I just wear what I want to wear.

PJNY: What are you wearing today?

EM: My plain white tee [the cap sleeve], white shorts from My Mum Made It, and a Burberry scarf I got secondhand off Vestiaire. The shorts have a stain on them because I just spilled something, but we're not talking about that.

On Life in New York City

PJNY: What do you love most about living and working in New York?

EM: New York is just who she is. She doesn't try hard. You can walk out in a full look or a plain white t-shirt and you're going to have a great day either way. It's an incredible place to meet people, to work, to find opportunities. I love her. And I'm actually celebrating ten years here this September.

PJNY: Coffee or matcha spot in heavy rotation?

EM: Park at KIMS. It's amazing. It's just like, it's not trying and it's just genuinely good because they're just good at what they do.

PJNY: Best place to spend time alone?

EM: Ooh, a museum, obviously. I could walk around galleries and museums in New York by myself forever.

PJNY: One gallery you want to hit, and one classic museum or gallery you always go back to?

EM: I'm excited to go to the New Museum because it just opened back up after I think a few years of renovations. Met is always a classic New York museum for me. And then gallery, hold on, it's on my phone. Gallery would be Lévy Gorvy Dayan. I really want to see the Domenico Gnoli exhibition. The paintings look incredible.

PJNY: What neighborhood is that in?

EM: Upper East Side.

PJNY: Where do you take someone visiting the city?

EM: Probably Gem Home. It's in my neighborhood and it just does everything really well. For food, Hā Snack Bar or Bistro Hā. And I'm really obsessed with Lei right now too.

PJNY: You work in both Paris and New York. What's the biggest difference between the two cities?

EM: Work mentality, mostly. It's just culturally different. They both have their positives and negatives, and honestly I wish you could sometimes mix the two. I think that would be the most perfect place ever.

PJNY: Agreed.

Rapid Fire

PJNY: Something you've been listening to a lot lately?

EM: Addison on repeat. She looked so good at Coachella, and she sounded amazing.

PJNY: Current obsession?

EM: My hyperfixation breakfast. It's kimchi and berries, Chinese steamed eggs, and fancy butter molds. They just make your morning feel more whimsical, and you need to start the day like that.

PJNY: Your perfect NYC day in three stops.

EM: Matcha, a museum or gallery with a beautiful walk, and an amazing food spot — probably omakase.

PJNY: One thing you never leave the house without?

EM: Lip liner. The full lip combo.

We'll leave you with this…

Thanks for reading.