Elena Velez

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Elena Velez
ELENA VELEZ 2021 CAROLYNE LORÉE.jpg
Born
Elena Mariana Velez

(1994-09-10) September 10, 1994 (age 27)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Alma materCentral Saint Martins, Parsons School of Design
OccupationFashion Designer
Partner(s)Andreas Emenius
Children1

Elena Velez is an American fashion designer and artist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, based in New York City.[1] Her work is known for its non traditional synthesis of metalsmith and high fashion. Dressing celebrities including Solange Knowles,[2] Grimes,[3] Charli XCX,[4] Arca,[5] Kim Petras,[6] Tinashe,[7] Rico Nasty[8] and Caroline Polachek,[9] her recent collaborations include custom looks for music artists such as Kali Uchis,[10] Rosalia, and Ariana Grande.[11] Velez was named by I-D Magazine in 2018 as one of five under the radar designers to discover at New York Fashion Week after first gaining viral success on VFILES Season 10 Runway.[12] The brand is represented by [13] and made its first official New York Fashion Week debut in September 2021.[14]

Early life & Inspiration[]

Described by Vogue as a "unique take on deconstruction,[15] Velez's current work is inspired by the historic craftsmanship and manufacturing legacy of the American rustbelt and is the product of collaboration with local metalsmith artisans to revisit the regional craft.[16] Central themes in her work include deconstruction,[17] unconventional femininity,[18] and alternative construction methods, which include "salvaged" and "site-specific materiality".[19] Velez coins her visual identity as "aggressively delicate".[20] Of Puerto Rican heritage[17] but raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Velez claims in recent interviews that the "industrial" nature of her "nontraditional upbringing" as the only child to a single mother who is a ship's captain on the Great Lakes influenced her current artistic identity, which she says draws heavily on "the relationship between femininity and force".[21] With a beginning interest in design from early childhood, the first documentation of her developments appear in local TV news as a teenager in 2010.[22]

Career[]

Velez studied at Parsons Paris from 2013 to 2015 and graduated from Parsons School of Design in 2018[23] with a BFA in fashion design and minor in creative entrepreneurship.[1] Additionally in 2020 she received a Graduate Diploma in fashion design from Central Saint Martins in London.[1] Her BFA thesis collection was shown at VFILES Season 10 Runway,[15] and London Fashion Week, as a guest of the Swedish Fashion Council.[24] In 2019 Velez's work was exhibited as a Teen Vogue 2019 Generation Next designer curated by Editor in Chief of Vogue Magazine's Anna Wintour, and Editor in Chief of NY Magazine's The Cut, Lindsey Peoples Wagner as “a designer representing the future of fashion”.[25] Her work has received coverage in Business of Fashion,[26] Women's Wear Daily,[27] WGSN,[28] Vogue,[29] Vogue Runway,[15] i-D Magazine,[12] Dazed,[30] Numero Berlin,[2] Paper Magazine,[17] Office Magazine,[20] CFDA,[31] Schön!,[32] CNN Style,[33] Telemundo,[34] Refinery29,[35] and New York Times The Cut.[36][37]

In February, 2021, Elena Velez Industries Inc. was founded with investment support from venture capital firms Gener8tor, and CSA Partners.[38] The company was subsequently featured in Forbes for its work with Midwestern makers and mission to "democratize resources and recognition" for artists outside of traditional creative capitals.[39]

Elena Velez with Anna Wintour and Lindsay Peoples Wagner at Teen Vogue Generation Next showcase, 2019

Awards & Showcases[]

  • Teen Vogue Generation Next, New York 2019
  • VFILES Season 10 Runway, New York 2018[40]
  • Swedish Fashion Council CTF Award, London 2018[41]

Collections[]

  • Year 0 - Rinascita, 2021 [42]
  • Homecoming, 2019 [43]
  • Vessel, 2019 [18]
  • _And Carry On, 2018 [19]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "statement | contact". elenavelez. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  2. ^ a b "Solange Knowles covers Numéro Berlin Spring/Summer 2019 by Marcus Cooper". fashionotography. 2019-07-19. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  3. ^ "Cover Story: Grimes is ready to play the villain". Crack Magazine. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  4. ^ "What Charli XCX Learned in the 5 Years Between New Albums". eonline. 14 September 2019.
  5. ^ "In conversation with Arca". GLAMCULT.COM. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
  6. ^ "@_elenavelez • Instagram photos and videos". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  7. ^ "Elena Velez Instagram".
  8. ^ "TACOBELLA on Instagram: "Nightmare Vacation Dec 4th