Elena Velez

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] Ethel Cain,[3] Julia Fox,[4] Eartheater,[5] Arca,[6] and Caroline Polachek,[7] her recent collaborations include custom looks for music artists such as Kali Uchis,[8] Sevdaliza, and Rosalia.[9] Velez was first 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 Runway.[10] The brand is represented by Loft Creative Group[11] and made its first official New York Fashion Week debut in September 2021.[12] Velez is a winner of the 2022 CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund,[13] and the American Emerging Designer of the Year at the 2022 CFDA Fashion Awards.[14][15]

Elena Velez
Elena Velez at the Met Gala, 2023
Born
Elena Mariana Velez

(1994-09-10) September 10, 1994
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Alma materCentral Saint Martins, Parsons School of Design
OccupationFashion Designer
SpouseAndreas Emenius
Children2
Websitehttps://www.elenavelez.com/

Early life and inspiration

Described by Vogue as a "unique take on deconstruction,[16] Velez's current work is inspired by the historic craftsmanship and manufacturing legacy of the American Rust Belt and is the product of collaboration with local metalsmith artisans to revisit the regional craft.[17] Central themes in her work include deconstruction,[18] unconventional femininity,[19] and alternative construction methods, which include "salvaged" and "site-specific materiality".[20] Velez coins her visual identity as "aggressively delicate".[21] Of Puerto Rican heritage[18] 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".[22] 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.[23]

Career

Velez studied at Parsons Paris from 2013 to 2015 and graduated from Parsons School of Design in 2018[24] 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,[16] and London Fashion Week, as a guest of the Swedish Fashion Council.[25] 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 as “a designer representing the future of fashion”.[26] Her work has received coverage in Business of Fashion,[27][28] Women's Wear Daily,[29] WGSN,[30] Vogue,[31] Vogue Runway,[16] i-D Magazine,[10] Dazed,[32] Numero Berlin,[2] Paper Magazine,[18] Office Magazine,[21] CFDA,[33] Schön!,[34] CNN Style,[35] Telemundo,[36] Refinery29,[37][38] The Wall Street Journal,[39] Forbes,[40] Harpers Bazaar,[41] and New York Times The Cut.[42][43]

In February, 2021, Elena Velez Industries Inc. was founded with investment support from venture capital firms Gener8tor, and CSA Partners.[44] 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.[40]

In March of 2023 Velez was inducted as a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.[45]

Elena Velez with Anna Wintour and Lindsay Peoples, 2019

Awards and showcases
  • Recipient, Elle Magazine's 2023 Women of Impact Award, WA D.C., 2023 [46]
  • Winner, Fashion Trust US Sustainability Award, New York 2023 [47][48]
  • Winner, Best Emerging Designer; CFDA Fashion Awards, New York 2022 [14][49]
  • Winner, CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund Award, New York 2022 [50]
  • Recipient, IMG Fashion Alliance Grant, New York 2022 [51]
  • Winner,Teen Vogue Generation Next, New York 2019 [52]
  • Winner,VFILES Season 10 Runway, New York 2018 [53]
  • Finalist, Swedish Fashion Council CTF Award, London 2018 [54]

Collections
  • Year 3 - How's My Driving?, 2023 [55]
  • Year 2 - In Glass, 2022 [56]
  • Year 1 - Maidenhood And Its Labors, 2022 [57]
  • Year 0 - Rinascita, 2021 [58]
  • Homecoming, 2019 [59]
  • Vessel, 2019 [19]
  • _And Carry On, 2018 [20]

References
  1. "statement | contact". elenavelez. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  2. "Solange Knowles covers Numéro Berlin Spring/Summer 2019 by Marcus Cooper". fashionotography. 2019-07-19. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  3. "V141: The Reign of Ethel Cain". V Magazine. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
  4. "Julia Fox and Her Baby Wore Custom Elena Velez Looks to NYFW". PAPER. 2022-09-11. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  5. "Elena Velez Explores "Romanticized Abstractions of Middle America" for FW23". V Magazine. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
  6. "In conversation with Arca". GLAMCULT.COM. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
  7. Hahn, Rachel (7 August 2019). "Caroline Polachek Is Bringing Back Pirate Style for Her Latest Video". Vogue. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  8. "Jorja Smith and Kali Uchis: The Duo You Need". Seattle Music News. 2019-05-22. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  9. "Rosalía apuesta por un look deconstruido de Elena Velez para el Global Citizen Festival". Vogue España (in European Spanish). 2022-09-25. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
  10. Ongley, Hannah (2018-09-05). "5 under-the-radar designers to discover at nyfw". i-D. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  11. "Public Relations".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. "NYFW The Shows - Schedule - NYFW: The Shows". nyfw.com. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  13. "Judy Turner, Elena Velez Among 2022 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalists". The Business of Fashion. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
  14. Lockwood, Lisa (2022-09-15). "2022 CFDA Fashion Awards Reveals Nominees and Honorees". WWD. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  15. "Khaite's Catherine Holstein, Luar's Raul Lopez, and More Win Top Awards at CFDA Awards—See All the Winners Here". Vogue. 2022-11-08. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
  16. "VFiles Spring 2019 Ready-to-Wear Fashion Show". Vogue. 6 September 2018. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  17. Hauer, Sarah. "This Milwaukee native has designed clothes for Ariana Grande, Halsey and Solange even before finishing school". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  18. "The Puerto Rican Designer Finding Inspiration in War-Torn Society". PAPER. 2018-07-24. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  19. "vessel". elenavelez. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  20. "_and carry on". elenavelez. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  21. "Aggressively Delicate". Office Magazine. 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  22. Hairston, Tahirah (10 September 2019). "Meet The Designer Challenging The Idea of Femininity With Her Utilitarian Designs". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  23. "Elena Velez - Teenage Fashion Designer". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2017-07-15.
  24. "2018 ELENA VELEZ". Parsons School of Design. Archived from the original on 2021-05-11.
  25. Wightman-Stone, Danielle (2018-09-11). "First Challenge the Fabric Award to launch at LFW". fashionunited.uk. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  26. Hairston, Tahirah (22 August 2019). "Meet Teen Vogue's Generation Next — 6 Designers That Represent the Future of Fashion". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  27. "How Elena Velez Is Turning Buzz Into a Business". The Business of Fashion. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  28. "VFiles Names Participating Designers and Launches Own Line". The Business of Fashion. 2018-08-09. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  29. Mercer, Emily (2018-09-06). "VFiles RTW Spring 2019". WWD. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  30. "User Login | WGSN | Creating Tomorrow". WGSN | Creating Tomorrow | Trend Forecasting & Analytics. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  31. "Снятся ли андроидам электроовцы? – новая бьюти-съемка Vogue UA". Vogue UA. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  32. "VFiles kicks off NYFW with Lil' Kim, a kiss cam, and its debut RTW line". Dazed. 2018-09-06. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  33. "CFDA". cfda.com. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  34. "ultraterrena". Schön! Magazine. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  35. Jennings, Helen. "Power, not fantasy: The young designers using lingerie as inspiration". CNN. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
  36. "Mujeres Imparables on Instagram: ""Busco traer de regreso la comida casera a una industria saturada de dulces costosos. Una verdadera agenda de #modahispana. Pa'lante",…"". Instagram. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  37. Garcia, Tess. "9 Latinx Fashion Designers You Should Follow Now". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  38. Solá-Santiago, Frances. "5 Brands Fashion Insiders Are Excited For In 2022". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  39. Zarrella, Katharine K. (2022-01-21). "How to Wear Cutout Clothes in the Dead of Winter". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  40. Sanchez, Rosa. "Elena Velez Rattles The Luxury Market With Gritty, Romantic Milwaukee Craftsmanship". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  41. Sanchez, Rosa (2022-04-15). "The Next Great Dark Fashion Designer Is From America's Heartland". Harper's BAZAAR. Retrieved 2022-04-15.
  42. Colyar, Brock (2019-02-07). "156 Designers on Their Fall/Winter Inspirations". The Cut. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  43. Horyn, Cathy (2021-09-09). "New York Fashion Week Returns". The Cut. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  44. "Premiere Night Accelerator Studio 2020". gener8tor. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
  45. "CFDA". cfda.com. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  46. "Elena Velez Is Bringing the Rust Belt to the Front Row". ELLE. 2023-03-28. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  47. "The Fashion Trust US Announces First Finalists for Awards". The Business of Fashion. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  48. "Puppets and Puppets, Elena Velez Win Fashion Trust US Awards". The Business of Fashion. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  49. Solá-Santiago, Frances. "Meet The CFDA Awards' American Emerging Designer Of The Year". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
  50. "10 Distinctive Designers Make Up This Year's CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalists". Vogue. 2022-04-26. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
  51. Lockwood, Lisa (2022-06-15). "IMG, Empire State Development Reveal 10 Recipients of $500,000 NYFW Small Business Grant". WWD. Retrieved 2022-06-26.
  52. "Meet Teen Vogue's Generation Next — 6 Designers That Represent the Future of Fashion". Teen Vogue. 2019-08-22. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
  53. "The VFILES Show designer Elena Velez is making metal corsets and garments from military parachutes". @vfiles. 2018-09-12. Retrieved 2020-03-08.
  54. "The CTF Award". thepinkprince. 9 September 2018. Retrieved 2020-03-08.
  55. "Elena Velez Fall 2023 Ready-to-Wear Collection". Vogue. 2023-02-14. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  56. "Elena Velez Spring 2023 Ready-to-Wear Collection". Vogue. 2022-09-10. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  57. "Elena Velez Fall 2022 Ready-to-Wear Collection". Vogue. 2022-02-12. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
  58. Dazed (2021-09-07). "The rising New York designers who should be on your radar". Dazed. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  59. "homecoming". elenavelez. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
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