Robecca Leyden interviewed Elody, from Elodys Addictions, while she was recently in New York for NY Fashion Week.
Firstly, who are you and what do you do?
Hello my name is Elody. I am a Fashion Designer that makes unique garms here in Otautahi, New Zealand.
Why are you currently in NYC?
I am putting my collection on runway at NYFW through Flying Solo, Ones to watch.
How did your partnership with Flying Solo come about?
I woke up one morning to an email from a scout, I’m guessing through my Instagram as I'd never heard of them before that.
You've had a really tough year with the untimely passing of the closest person in your life. How has that impacted your journey?
I was in such a bad place as I found him passed away and he was the most special person to me. I had lost all inspiration and sadly my passion for fashion. Also lost the studio shop space so had to set up a studio in garage. The deadline was tight and I only had a few weeks to make garments so I just entered the ready to wear section as I didn’t have time to whip up couture pieces.
Even with the challenges I faced I made the deadline, just, and my submission was accepted. Even after I was accepted, because of the state of grief I was in, I still didn’t believe it was real so I blocked it out. It wasn’t until closer to time when I booked flights with the help of family and friends that I realised it was really, real. I wasn’t in a good financial position as I hadn’t been creating and lost my part time job, so I am grateful to everyone who helped me reach my dream.
How do you describe your designs?
Bold, print clashing, unique & colourful is Elody’s Addictions
Dollsy is playful frilly dresses inspired by my childhood and inspiration drawn from Harajuku fashion.
BLEAK is streetwear, darker and drawn from a period of grief and my new found hobby. I took up grafitti in the months following M’s passing and I absolutely love it. It basically helped me express my grief through art. Saved my life.
What has it been like in New York so far?
Amazing, never felt like I belonged somewhere as much as I do here. I love you New York, feels like home.
What are your goals for the label?
Getting my new brand BLEAK Apparel off the ground. Elody’s Addictions & Dollsy is all one of a kind handmade by myself. BLEAK will be runs of garms with my hand drawn designs as prints, embroidered hoodies and more dark techy vibe streetwear.
I will have a different business model with BLEAK as the sewing will be contracted out after I produce the
samples and tees and hoodies be ready made to print on. This will hopefully generate more income as it is runs of sizes so more chances for people to grab a design they like. I will always keep my other brands as one of a kind handmade by me.
What can we expect when you get back to NZ?
Grinding, haha. Feeling so much more inspired and invigorated by my passion for fashion being in New York.
Expect fresh designs and drops from all my brands. I will also be working on my new collections for NYFW next year or Milan Fashion Week. I’m going to start working on these collections over next few months so I can go bolder and push the boundaries seeing as I have more time to submit the collections this time.
Watch this space!
