Independent designers find success in the niche world of hand-painted clothes

Emma Louthan paints a scene onto a T-shirt for her brand Swan Gossip. In an era of fast fashion, some yearn for clothing with a personal touch. Photo: The New York Times

One night in December 2019, Emma Louthan realised in a mild panic that she needed a gift for a child’s birthday party the next day. She grabbed acrylic paint and some of her daughter’s old clothes and began creating an aquatic scene: pink koi swimming beneath white and green water lilies.

The birthday boy wasn’t much impressed by the artful present, but it planted a seed in Louthan’s mind.