ELLE TAKES A BITE OF THE BIG APPLE
A17-YEAR-OLD girl has taken her love of fashion to the next level after she launched her own fashion label at New York Fashion Week. Elle Wilks, from Newport, has loved fashion since she started modelling and taking part in pageants four years ago.
But it was contacts she made during her modelling days that meant she was able to take her fashion brand, El Unico, to the fashion capital of the world in February.
“I’ve always loved fashion and I started my business quite young, but I’m a very passionate and determined person, so if I want something I always go for it,” Elle said.
“I first came up with the brand a year ago and I had an opportunity to feature at New York Fashion Week (NYFW) and I launched it in February this year.
“We went out to New York and I featured on the runway. My friend used to live in America and is a photographer and she has lots of connections and got in touch with people who could help me.
“It went from zero to 100 in a matter of seconds and the next thing I know, I was at New York Fashion Week.
“I showcased with five other designers. We had 16 minutes each to show 20 outfits. I showed my current collection.
“It was unbelievable. You can’t even describe it in words. It’s incredible to see your work on the runway.”
Since the show, Elle has racked up huge support and has started work on a piece for a special VIP who cannot be named.
But Elle is a different type of fashion designer. Instead of creating outfits to fit models, Elle’s brand creates custom, made-to-measure pieces made in the UK that everyone can wear, regardless of size.
“All of the outfits are bespoke,” she said. “Also, if you come in with an idea or inspiration for an outfit, we can create that too.
“My brand is all about women’s empowerment. I believe that people should go for what they want and you should feel comfortable in your body and that’s why my brand is bespoke.
“The prices range from, for our col- lections – pom-pom, fringe and d haute couture – from £85 to £135, 5, and for bespoke it can be from £65 5 upwards, depending on the style, e, embellishments and material.
“I’ve always gone for what I want nt and I’ve wanted to do this for a few w years, but I didn’t want to jump mp into it straight away. I’ve done ne modelling and pageants and got a lot of contacts in those industries. .
“I love doing modelling and paggeants – it’s so amazing. Since I started four years ago, I’ve gained d so much confidence.
“I was always quite shy as a child. But pageants and modelling have helped me to find who I truly am as a person. I always thought I would go into the performing arts, but through pageants and modelling it helped me see fashion as my true love.”
Now that Elle has taken on one of the biggest fashion weeks in the world she wants to conquer the globe with her brand of acceptance.
“Ideally, I would love to have shops around the world and people could come in and get fitted into outfits,” she said. “People could also come in and be inspired by the brand and leave feeling empowered.
“The thing that inspired me for the brand is everything I see on social media these days. I see people who have been bullied and I want them to know that it doesn’t matter what people say – as long as you believe in yourself, that’s all that matters.”