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.

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/

Described by Vogue as "explosive and aggressive",[2] Velez's work has been 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.[3] Central themes in her work include deconstruction,[4] unconventional & complicated femininity,[5] and alternative construction methods, which include "salvaged" and "site-specific materiality".[6] Velez coins her visual identity as "aggressively delicate".[7]

Velez is a winner of the 2022 CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund,[8] the 2022 CFDA Emerging Designer of the Year,[9] and in March 2023, she was inducted as a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Early life and education

Of Puerto Rican heritage[4] 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".[10] 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.[11]

Velez studied at Parsons Paris from 2013 to 2015 and graduated from Parsons School of Design in 2018[12] 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,[13] and London Fashion Week, as a guest of the Swedish Fashion Council.[14]

Career

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.[15]

In 2019 Velez's work was exhibited as a Teen Vogue 2019 Generation Next designer curated by Editor in Chief of Vogue Anna Wintour and she was referred to by the Editor in Chief of The Cut, Lindsey Peoples, as “a designer representing the future of fashion”.[16] Her work has received coverage in Business of Fashion,[17][18] Women's Wear Daily,[19] WGSN,[20][21][13][15][22] Numero Berlin,[23][4][7][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] and other publications.[34][35][36]

In February, 2021, Elena Velez Industries Inc. was founded with investment support from venture capital firms Gener8tor, and CSA Partners.[37] 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.[32]

Velez has dressed celebrities including Solange Knowles,[23] Ethel Cain,[38] Julia Fox, and others.[39][40][41][42]

In 2022, Velez won American Emerging Designer of the Year at the CFDA Fashion Awards.[43][44] In March 2023, she was inducted as a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.[45]

Elena Velez with Anna Wintour and Lindsay Peoples, 2019

Velez attended the 2023 Met Gala as a guest of Balenciaga. For the occasion, she created a crackle medium screenprint ink-gown for the artist Sasha Gordon as a nod to Gordon's painting career.[46]

Velez is an outspoken advocate for transparency around the struggles of being a young designer, detailing in a profile for the New York Times her difficulties around growing a brand without private wealth.[36]

Awards and showcases
  • Nominee, Emerging Designer/ Brand of the Year; Latin American Fashion Awards, 2023[47]
  • Recognizee, 50 Women In Power list by WWD, New York, 2023[48]
  • Recipient, Elle Magazine's 2023 Women of Impact Award, WA D.C., 2023[49]
  • Winner, Fashion Trust US Sustainability Award, New York 2023[50][51]
  • Winner, Best Emerging Designer; CFDA Fashion Awards, New York 2022[43][9]
  • Winner, CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund Award, New York 2022[52]
  • Recipient, IMG Fashion Alliance Grant, New York 2022[53]
  • Winner,Teen Vogue Generation Next, New York 2019[54]
  • Winner,VFILES Season 10 Runway, New York 2018[55]
  • Finalist, Swedish Fashion Council CTF Award, London 2018[56]

Museum acquisitions

Collections
  • YR004 - The Longhouse, Sep. 2023[59]
  • YR003 - How's My Driving?, Feb. 2023[60]
  • YR002 - In Glass, Sep. 2022[61]
  • YR001 - Maidenhood And Its Labors, Feb. 2022[62]
  • YR000 - Rinascita, Sep. 2021[63]
  • Homecoming, 2019[64]
  • Vessel, 2019[5]
  • _And Carry On, 2018[6]

References
  1. "statement | contact". elenavelez. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  2. "Elena Velez Fall 2023 Ready-to-Wear Collection". Vogue. 2023-02-14. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  3. 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.
  4. "The Puerto Rican Designer Finding Inspiration in War-Torn Society". PAPER. 2018-07-24. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  5. "vessel". elenavelez. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  6. "_and carry on". elenavelez. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  7. "Aggressively Delicate". Office Magazine. 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  8. "Judy Turner, Elena Velez Among 2022 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalists". The Business of Fashion. 26 April 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
  9. Solá-Santiago, Frances. "Meet The CFDA Awards' American Emerging Designer Of The Year". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
  10. Hairston, Tahirah (10 September 2019). "Meet The Designer Challenging The Idea of Femininity With Her Utilitarian Designs". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  11. "Elena Velez - Teenage Fashion Designer". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2017-07-15.
  12. "2018 ELENA VELEZ". Parsons School of Design. Archived from the original on 2021-05-11.
  13. "VFiles Spring 2019 Ready-to-Wear Fashion Show". Vogue. 6 September 2018. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  14. Wightman-Stone, Danielle (2018-09-11). "First Challenge the Fabric Award to launch at LFW". fashionunited.uk. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  15. Ongley, Hannah (2018-09-05). "5 under-the-radar designers to discover at nyfw". i-D. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  16. 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.
  17. "How Elena Velez Is Turning Buzz Into a Business". The Business of Fashion. 22 December 2021. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  18. "VFiles Names Participating Designers and Launches Own Line". The Business of Fashion. 2018-08-09. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  19. Mercer, Emily (2018-09-06). "VFiles RTW Spring 2019". WWD. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  20. "User Login | WGSN | Creating Tomorrow". WGSN | Creating Tomorrow | Trend Forecasting & Analytics. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  21. "Снятся ли андроидам электроовцы? – новая бьюти-съемка Vogue UA". Vogue UA. November 2019. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  22. "VFiles kicks off NYFW with Lil' Kim, a kiss cam, and its debut RTW line". Dazed. 2018-09-06. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  23. "Solange Knowles covers Numéro Berlin Spring/Summer 2019 by Marcus Cooper". fashionotography. 2019-07-19. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  24. "CFDA". cfda.com. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  25. "ultraterrena". Schön! Magazine. 15 August 2018. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  26. Jennings, Helen (13 May 2020). "Power, not fantasy: The young designers using lingerie as inspiration". CNN. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
  27. "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.
  28. Garcia, Tess. "9 Latinx Fashion Designers You Should Follow Now". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  29. Solá-Santiago, Frances. "5 Brands Fashion Insiders Are Excited For In 2022". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  30. 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.
  31. "Red Scare Podcast, The Mid Gala with Elena Velez". Patreon.
  32. Sanchez, Rosa. "Elena Velez Rattles The Luxury Market With Gritty, Romantic Milwaukee Craftsmanship". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  33. Sanchez, Rosa (2022-04-15). "The Next Great Dark Fashion Designer Is From America's Heartland". Harper's BAZAAR. Retrieved 2022-04-15.
  34. Colyar, Brock (2019-02-07). "156 Designers on Their Fall/Winter Inspirations". The Cut. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  35. Horyn, Cathy (2021-09-09). "New York Fashion Week Returns". The Cut. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  36. Testa, Jessica (2023-05-25). "Should Making It in Fashion Be This Hard?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
  37. "Premiere Night Accelerator Studio 2020". gener8tor. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
  38. "V141: The Reign of Ethel Cain". V Magazine. March 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
  39. "Julia Fox and Her Baby Wore Custom Elena Velez Looks to NYFW". PAPER. 2022-09-11. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  40. "Elena Velez Explores "Romanticized Abstractions of Middle America" for FW23". V Magazine. 16 February 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
  41. "In conversation with Arca". GLAMCULT.COM. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
  42. Hahn, Rachel (7 August 2019). "Caroline Polachek Is Bringing Back Pirate Style for Her Latest Video". Vogue. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  43. Lockwood, Lisa (2022-09-15). "2022 CFDA Fashion Awards Reveals Nominees and Honorees". WWD. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  44. "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.
  45. "CFDA". cfda.com. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  46. WHEELER, ANDRÉ-NAQUIAN (2 May 2023). "Meet the Four Independent Designers Balenciaga Invited to the Met Gala". Vogue. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  47. "Categories". Latin America Fashion Awards. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  48. Staff, W. W. D. (2023-08-08). "Scarlett Johansson to Headline WWD x FN x Beauty Inc Women in Power 2023 Event". WWD. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
  49. "Elena Velez Is Bringing the Rust Belt to the Front Row". ELLE. 2023-03-28. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  50. "The Fashion Trust US Announces First Finalists for Awards". The Business of Fashion. 9 February 2023. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  51. "Puppets and Puppets, Elena Velez Win Fashion Trust US Awards". The Business of Fashion. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  52. "10 Distinctive Designers Make Up This Year's CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalists". Vogue. 2022-04-26. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
  53. Lockwood, Lisa (2022-06-15). "IMG, Empire State Development Reveal 10 Recipients of $500,000 NYFW Small Business Grant". WWD. Retrieved 2022-06-26.
  54. "Meet Teen Vogue's Generation Next — 6 Designers That Represent the Future of Fashion". Teen Vogue. 2019-08-22. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
  55. "The VFILES Show designer Elena Velez is making metal corsets and garments from military parachutes". @vfiles. 2018-09-12. Retrieved 2020-03-08.
  56. "The CTF Award". thepinkprince. 9 September 2018. Retrieved 2020-03-08.
  57. "Objects of Permanence | Abrons Arts Center". Objects of Permanence | Abrons Arts Center. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  58. "At The Museum at FIT, a New Exhibition Proposes a Nuanced Way to Look at Latin American Fashion". Vogue. 2023-05-31. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  59. "Elena Velez Spring 2024 Ready-to-Wear Collection". Vogue. 2023-09-13. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  60. "Elena Velez Fall 2023 Ready-to-Wear Collection". Vogue. 2023-02-14. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  61. "Elena Velez Spring 2023 Ready-to-Wear Collection". Vogue. 2022-09-10. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  62. "Elena Velez Fall 2022 Ready-to-Wear Collection". Vogue. 2022-02-12. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
  63. Dazed (2021-09-07). "The rising New York designers who should be on your radar". Dazed. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  64. "homecoming". elenavelez. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
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