Like the other designers featured in Sonic Eclectic’s Fash∙ion show, Elena Vasilevsky’s collection was inspired by her own lifestyle. One thing that separates Elena V Designs from some of the more dramatic pieces of her fellow designers is pure wearability. A true New Yorker, Vasilevsky says that she always felt the need to have dresses that she could wear anywhere, from the office to a night out with friends, while still feeling comfortable and confident. She realized that many women and men shared that desire, and began to design her versatile line, which she describes as “simple, but with edge. A typical downtown look.” Her designs are not just for models, they were created for any body type.
Born in the Ukraine, Elena grew up in New York where she eventually attended Fashion Institute of Technology. After studying fashion in college, Vasilevsky was surprised to find her creativity stifled. After a few industry jobs, she felt she was doing “too much copying and not enough creating.” She was not inspired to design. Instead, she channeled her creativity into dancing, particularly Latin dance. She entered competitions, and eventually was inspired to design her own costumes. Once she started wearing her original pieces, others began asking her to design their costumes. This reignited her love of fashion and design, and about a year ago she made her way from designing costumes exclusively to focusing on everyday style.
For somebody who has really only been in the industry for a year, Vasilevsky has seen some incredible career highlights. In 2011, she was selected as the winner of the National vitaminwater Color Collection Competition, and made her NY Fashion Week debut. She was also recently featured in New Jersey’s Fashion Week, where she first displayed her current collection.
Vasilevsky emphatically stated that she was very proud and honored to be a part of the group of designers selected for Fash∙ion. When originally approached by Sonic Eclectic about the show, she “loved the idea of designers collaborating… no jealousy, only support. “
Right now, Vasilevsky’s collection of “modern day basics that strike the right balance of glamour and downtown attitude, for day into night life style,” is available on her website, elenaVdesigns.com. She is planning to open a showroom, and commissioned pieces are also available.
For more information, visit www.elenaVdesigns.com.