Ellison is a label based in Melbourne by designer Felicity Ellison. She is quite new to the scene having her label just started in 2010. After studying Product Development and Merchandising she turned to her passion of design. She likes "strong lines with a masculine touch" and describes herself as not being not so much a girly girl with a wardrobe full of dresses but rather a lot of pants. Ellison is inspired by music, film, photography and the past. This collection's inspiration was taken from her favourite childhood film The Labyrinth, David Bowie and gemstones as represented in the sheer, metallic and leather. Take a read of the interview we did!
Personally just LOVE that whole look above. The leather tee and those pants- I really want them! I would wear most of her pieces.
Her designs are currently stocked at Alice Euphemia in Melbourne and The Corner Shop in Sydney.
Personally just LOVE that whole look above. The leather tee and those pants- I really want them! I would wear most of her pieces.
Her designs are currently stocked at Alice Euphemia in Melbourne and The Corner Shop in Sydney.
What is your name?
Felicity
Age?
24
Where are you based?
Melbourne
When and how did you decide on design as your career?
I always wanted to be in fashion and explored the business side of it first. Then I went and did a semester in New York at the Fashion Institute of Technology where I took more creative classes. This is were I decided that design was the right path for me.
What was the process in beginning your label and why did you call it Ellison?
When I got back from New York I was a bit confused as to exactly what steps to take. Its a very hard thing starting a business especially when you are doing it alone. So i just registered the name and started sewing. It naturally progressed from there. Ellison is my surname, so easy natural progression.
Tell us a little bit about your style.
I wear a mix of designer and vintage (as most people do) and Ellison of course. I wear pants alot. I love pants. Guilty pleasure. I'm not a girly girl so dresses aren't a huge part of my wardrobe or label for that matter. There are other labels who do dresses so well, so I'll leave it to them. I like strong lines with a masculine touch.
Tips for aspiring designers, like me?
It's important to make your aspirations reality otherwise you'll end up thinking 'what if' for the rest of your life. The fashion industry is cut throat and you have to be a true and strong believer in your craft to survive. If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will either. In saying that, anyone who knows me would say I should take my own advice. We really are our own hardest critics.
Did you have any education in fashion? if so, where? if not, how did you learn the technical aspects?
I studied Product Development and Merchandising at RMIT which gave me a strong base in how the fashion industry works and the business behind it. So the technical aspects of design is what I learn about every day. And probably will continue to learn about for the rest of my career.
How did your friends/family react to you turning to fashion design?
My family was and still is immensely supportive of what I am doing. It's really nice to make them proud. My friends are my rocks. They not only encourage and support me, they are also a really talented bunch that often help me with the many other aspects needed to run a label. Like photography, graphic design, or even loaning their bodies out for me to poke and prod.
How do you approach your designs each season and what inspires you?
I am heavily inspired by music, film and photography. I find I look to the past a lot and focus a lot of my attention on art that was happening in the 60's 70's and 80's. Not the fashion itself, but the art and music that came about during those times.
Where do you source fabrics and what kind of fabrics do you use?
Fabrics are the most important thing for me. They are what i get excited about. I love lurex. About a quarter of my own wardrobe is made from lurex. Which is a high ratio considering what lurex looks like. However it is very hard to find in Australia. I also love working with leather and silk. Silk is beautiful on the skin and just cannot be substituted by anything else.
How do you think your is label unique from others in Australia or abroad?
I think every independent label is unique in it's own way. No one will ever be alike as we are all inspired and drawn to different things. My brand is pretty much me in a nutshell. And if you ever met me you would know that. I design true to my own style and aesthetic, which I believe is the most important thing for any designer to do.
Who is your target market? what/why do you think your products appeals to them? Well I wear my clothes, and my mum wears my clothes (she's 61) and I have it on good authority that boys have bought my clothes so I don't really want to narrow myself down into a particular target market. If you like my stuff, your in my target market. Simple as that.
What is your favourite piece from your designs so far?
Probably the Hoggle Leather Tshirt from AW11. The leather I found for it was just out of this world. Expect to see a bit more of it next season!
I believe good models help a lot in selling the clothes. What kind of models' outlook do you choose for your label?
Models are SO important to each season. They are your face and will stick around with your brand seasons after they have appeared. I choose my models very carefully for this reason. They MUST have cool, fun personalities not just pretty faces.
What will the public expect to see next season?
Lurex, leather, linen, lace and a digital printed silk, which is a first for me. And very exiting.
What futures avenues are you looking into for Ellison?
One day at a time is my motto. I don't like thinking about the future because you miss opportunities that might not be in your ideal plan and get disappointed when things you planned don't happen.
Looking at some of your pieces, they are quite androgynous, have you ever thought of looking into designing menswear?
I adore menswear! It is actually what drew me to fashion in the first place. There is something so wonderful about a well dressed man. Maybe because they are a lot rarer than a well dressed woman. One day?
Favourite designer/s and why?
Dries Van Noten is amazing at both mens and womanswear. He dresses the human form how it should be dressed. He is pretty much perfect to me. He also takes crafts from all around the world and weaves them into his collections so you never really know what you're going to get each season. Proenza Schouler are also impressing me season after season with their colour palettes and prints. True leaders. These are amongst the many talented Australian designers doing great things! I think we are the masters of creating affordable, wearable, beautiful quality garments for the everyday man and woman.
Describe next season in one sentence.
Shine on you crazy diamond
Felicity
Age?
24
Where are you based?
Melbourne
When and how did you decide on design as your career?
I always wanted to be in fashion and explored the business side of it first. Then I went and did a semester in New York at the Fashion Institute of Technology where I took more creative classes. This is were I decided that design was the right path for me.
What was the process in beginning your label and why did you call it Ellison?
When I got back from New York I was a bit confused as to exactly what steps to take. Its a very hard thing starting a business especially when you are doing it alone. So i just registered the name and started sewing. It naturally progressed from there. Ellison is my surname, so easy natural progression.
Tell us a little bit about your style.
I wear a mix of designer and vintage (as most people do) and Ellison of course. I wear pants alot. I love pants. Guilty pleasure. I'm not a girly girl so dresses aren't a huge part of my wardrobe or label for that matter. There are other labels who do dresses so well, so I'll leave it to them. I like strong lines with a masculine touch.
Tips for aspiring designers, like me?
It's important to make your aspirations reality otherwise you'll end up thinking 'what if' for the rest of your life. The fashion industry is cut throat and you have to be a true and strong believer in your craft to survive. If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will either. In saying that, anyone who knows me would say I should take my own advice. We really are our own hardest critics.
Did you have any education in fashion? if so, where? if not, how did you learn the technical aspects?
I studied Product Development and Merchandising at RMIT which gave me a strong base in how the fashion industry works and the business behind it. So the technical aspects of design is what I learn about every day. And probably will continue to learn about for the rest of my career.
How did your friends/family react to you turning to fashion design?
My family was and still is immensely supportive of what I am doing. It's really nice to make them proud. My friends are my rocks. They not only encourage and support me, they are also a really talented bunch that often help me with the many other aspects needed to run a label. Like photography, graphic design, or even loaning their bodies out for me to poke and prod.
How do you approach your designs each season and what inspires you?
I am heavily inspired by music, film and photography. I find I look to the past a lot and focus a lot of my attention on art that was happening in the 60's 70's and 80's. Not the fashion itself, but the art and music that came about during those times.
Where do you source fabrics and what kind of fabrics do you use?
Fabrics are the most important thing for me. They are what i get excited about. I love lurex. About a quarter of my own wardrobe is made from lurex. Which is a high ratio considering what lurex looks like. However it is very hard to find in Australia. I also love working with leather and silk. Silk is beautiful on the skin and just cannot be substituted by anything else.
How do you think your is label unique from others in Australia or abroad?
I think every independent label is unique in it's own way. No one will ever be alike as we are all inspired and drawn to different things. My brand is pretty much me in a nutshell. And if you ever met me you would know that. I design true to my own style and aesthetic, which I believe is the most important thing for any designer to do.
Who is your target market? what/why do you think your products appeals to them? Well I wear my clothes, and my mum wears my clothes (she's 61) and I have it on good authority that boys have bought my clothes so I don't really want to narrow myself down into a particular target market. If you like my stuff, your in my target market. Simple as that.
What is your favourite piece from your designs so far?
Probably the Hoggle Leather Tshirt from AW11. The leather I found for it was just out of this world. Expect to see a bit more of it next season!
I believe good models help a lot in selling the clothes. What kind of models' outlook do you choose for your label?
Models are SO important to each season. They are your face and will stick around with your brand seasons after they have appeared. I choose my models very carefully for this reason. They MUST have cool, fun personalities not just pretty faces.
What will the public expect to see next season?
Lurex, leather, linen, lace and a digital printed silk, which is a first for me. And very exiting.
What futures avenues are you looking into for Ellison?
One day at a time is my motto. I don't like thinking about the future because you miss opportunities that might not be in your ideal plan and get disappointed when things you planned don't happen.
Looking at some of your pieces, they are quite androgynous, have you ever thought of looking into designing menswear?
I adore menswear! It is actually what drew me to fashion in the first place. There is something so wonderful about a well dressed man. Maybe because they are a lot rarer than a well dressed woman. One day?
Favourite designer/s and why?
Dries Van Noten is amazing at both mens and womanswear. He dresses the human form how it should be dressed. He is pretty much perfect to me. He also takes crafts from all around the world and weaves them into his collections so you never really know what you're going to get each season. Proenza Schouler are also impressing me season after season with their colour palettes and prints. True leaders. These are amongst the many talented Australian designers doing great things! I think we are the masters of creating affordable, wearable, beautiful quality garments for the everyday man and woman.
Describe next season in one sentence.
Shine on you crazy diamond