Elphi Désidérata
Iam Breton - Morbihannaise. I grew up between Ploermel and Malestroit in central Bretagne. I still live in Morbihan, in St Anne d'Auray, at the gateway to Vannes and Auray.
I have always loved sewing, drawing, theater, and manual work - a vocation more than a profession. I started sewing at the age of 4, making clothes for my dolls, using adhesive tape and staples. Then, from the 6th grade onwards, I made all my own clothes. Later, I took fashion design courses, obtaining my BEP and a professional fashion baccalaureate.
At first, I made small creations like jewelry, fashion accessories, children's clothing. Over the past 11 years, I began - little by little - to create dresses and costumes for events, fashion shows, photo shoots, salons, and so forth. I am an advanced sewing trainer for the Chamber of Trades and Crafts of Bretagne, training professional seamstresses, and also a sewing facilitator at the Maison des Animations et des Loisirs in Auray. I do costume design on the side - for three years, I have had the honor of working for the Venice Carnival, creating several pieces each season.
As a costume designer, I love embodying a character and the chance to learn about an era, a context, and new techniques. My job goes well beyond sewing and into the realm of telling stories - persevering through the process of testing, failing, and starting again.
The challenge in fashion today is to become more ecologically sustainable. I am already involved in this process, using organic fabric, collecting costume scraps to create small pieces like bow ties, brooches, etc., and my prototype fabrics are crafted from recycled cotton.
The greatest reward is the satisfaction of a job well done and the happiness in the eyes of our customers. It is simply magical.
It is, above all, a true passion. Passion animates me, makes me feel alive. I don't see myself doing anything else. It is such a rich profession, in both its process and in its techniques - I am always learning.
That said, you must be just a little bit crazy to work in the fashion industry.