Omaha Fashion Week is kicking off another season August 20-25, and we are thrilled to share more about our amazing lineup of designers!
Inspired by the curves of the Chicago skyline, Elyse Anastacia Flores created her line "Dolores". With sophisticated elements and structural silhouettes, this collection dresses the independent, professional woman.
How did you get into fashion? Share a little about your background.
My lifelong passion developed from watching my grandmother create beautiful garments. Multiple internships, superior education, and excellent artistic training allow me to bring abundant enthusiasm to learn, contribute, and grow as an artist and as an individual. I am graduating from Lindenwood University with a BFA in Fashion design and BA in Art History
Describe your brand and the point of view you wish to convey.
My brand strives to dress strong contemporary women who are not afraid to make a statement. Quality and craftsmanship is key to my brand, as they show the strength and style of the women I dress. I strive to always create garments that are thought provoking and intellectual.
Describe your favorite project(s) that you have worked on.
My favorite collection so far is the one I will be showing at Omaha Fashion Week in August. I was able to combine three loves of my life into one: creating, art history, and family. Chicago is the origin of my family, making it the perfect inspiration. I was also able to use my art history background to develop a very intellectual and aesthetic collection. Besides this specific collection and sewing, I also enjoy illustration with marker and collage. Quite often I use art history as my center of inspiration for these projects
Describe the collection you are creating.
The Dolores collection is based on the skyline of Chicago, the city where I was born. The Chicago skyline is known as one of the top ten most beautiful in the world. My designs focus on architecture imitated through complex pleats, and water imitated through volume. My completely white collection plays on the well known architectural International Style. Emerging during the Cold War, International Style strives to streamline architecture in order to avoid any ornamentation or propaganda. This allows the viewer to focus on the structure and silhouettes of the garments. With this collection, I strive to dress an independent professional woman who seeks modern and high quality clothing. The collection is named Dolores in dedication to my aunt and family whose love and support have allowed me to develop my creative mind.
Where did you find inspiration for your new collection?
The inspiration for this collection came when I was on a run along Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. With a background in art history, I was able to dissect the skyline that was ahead of me while I ran, realizing the repetition of strong geometric lines. After some research I learned that the skyline is considered one of the most beautiful in the world because of it coexistence with water. The unobstructed view of the water from the city is equaled to the magnificence when viewing the city from the water. It's from here that I chose to focus on the geometric lines of the city and the volume of the water.
What customer are you designing for?
My client lives in the city and works in the corporate world. Much like the qualities found in the beautiful, unique city she lives in, she places great value in wearing beautiful, quality constructed and unique clothing. The collection I created gives her many options; from day wear to evening attire. Many of the pieces can be mixed and worn with other pieces already in her closet. She is a modern woman with contemporary style.
What sort of design elements can we expect from you this season? What materials, colors, shapes, or patterns will you be using?
This collection focuses on the skyline of Chicago for inspiration. In order to imitate the coexistence of water and architecture I have decided to focus on pleats to represent the architecture and volume to show the water. The pleats I have included in this collection are a new embellishment I learned specifically for this collection. The pleats are called origami pleats because of their braid like appearance where they fold into each other. Each look uses pleats creating its own unique structure.
In what ways is this collection similar or different than your past work?
As a young designer, my personal style is still being developed. However, strong geometric lines are seen in this collection and also seen in my past work, as well as the consistency of garments being created for a contemporary woman.
To learn more about Elyse and her work, visit her website and follow along on Instagram as she continues to prepare for the runway! And be sure to grab tickets to Omaha Fashion Week August 20th-25th!