Today we’d like to introduce you to Elena Bobysheva.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Elena. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I received an Interdisciplinary education in business and fashion design at Columbia College in Chicago so I have technical training in garment construction and a business foundation. During my studies I realized that the fashion industry is not only wasteful, detrimental to the environment and the planet’s resources, it’s also one of the most far-behind industries of mass-scale. I wanted to create a label that reflected a slower pace and process: where things are made with care and detail, where tradition is more important than trend, where there is a purpose to every piece, and the product is made ethically. I used the monetary awards I won from student design and business competitions as my seed money to start my label in 2013. My senior thesis collection was picked up by a local retailer and I received a recognition as an emerging womenswear designer with the most promise from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in my first season.
Today, we operate our own stand-alone e-commerce site where we sell my Ready-to-Wear collections direct-to-consumer on a cut-to-order basis. We are still a small label and even though we do not have an outsourced PR representation, we have organically acquired national press. My dresses have been requested for some of the most stylish women of our time, including Emma Watson, Stacy London, and Lady Gaga to name a few.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As a sustainable, young luxury label fabric can sometimes be a challenge. We don’t make our own fabric so we have to use what’s available on the market. Colors can be very limited in organic ranges – often they are not the same richness, texture, or quality. We are always researching more sustainable material options to use in my collections but we often find that the market hasn’t caught up with the demand. We try to use organic fabrics as much as we can, but I won’t move forward with a fabric unless I can achieve a high-quality product.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Elena Bobysheva – what should we know?
I design sustainable, high-end Ready-to-wear for women with busy, high-powered lives who need clothes that they will be taken seriously in. We currently focus on three categories: tops & shirts, skirts, and dresses that are offered in ultra-luxurious fabrics like Italian wool-crepe, in which you can get off a flight and still look immaculate. We operate on an in-house cut-to-order business model, meaning we produce only what is ordered as to not contribute to unsold inventory ending up in landfills. I design for the modern eco-warrior that seeks sophisticated, tailored pieces with a distinct luxe aesthetic.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I think integrity, authenticity, accountability, perseverance, and resourcefulness are important characteristics to have if you want to succeed in anything in life. Don’t allow yourself to become a victim of circumstance. If somebody tells you “no”, you’re talking to the wrong person. There’s always a solution to something. If there are limited opportunities, make your own.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.elenabobysheva.com
- Email: info@elenabobysheva.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elenabobysheva/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/official.elenabobysheva/
Image Credit:
Stephanie Garcia, Kasia Jarosz
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