ELENA VELEZ
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The graduate of Parsons School of Design and Central Saint Martins establishes her brand in New York, showcasing her collection for the first time in 2021 at NY Fashion Week. «Sustainability is only successful if it’s sexy» says the designer during an interview. For her, sustainability is not a negotiable factor: one only need to find a means to appropriate it, in an ethical, transparent and conscientious way. Elena Velez has succeeded in this goal since the first graduation collection "And Carry On". Velez, who was born in Milwaukee, in the state of Wisconsin, a city with roots of industrial production (her mother is a ship captain in the Great Lakes), turned old boats, salvaged steel and embedding metal structures into sensual and industrial designs. Sharp dresses are opposed to soft elements within her collections, featuring regenerated fabrics, that come charged with the energy of the life they lived before. Elena work with the project manager Derek Everson in the processing of metals. Starting from raw materials, they shape them and they create garments designed specifically for bodies that want to communicate "fierce romance" and "aggressive femininity".
Nelson Kies, a metalworker who grew up in Milwaukee with Velez embellishes the designer’s outfits, creating accessories, such as rings, necklaces, earrings and even tiaras from scrap metal materials. Elena Velez stands by the small local activities, supporting the idea that from "filth" can be born something objectively wonderful.
