Last September, models struggled in the mud at the end of Elena Velez’s show in East Williamsburg. Plus one change; This season, the embattled designer took on the Super Bowl, forgoing the usual runway presentation and hosting a salon and costume ball on Fifth Avenue, across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, at what was previously The American Irish. Historical Society. And so instead of Allegiant Stadium, there was the Upper East Side; and instead of hot wings and beer, elegant snacks and cocktails. It was very clear that culture (highbrow and ‘libtard’) rather than fashion was the focus of this event, although Velez did create custom looks for attendees mingling with the crowd. “This is not a commercial season for me, this is actually more of a world building exercise,” she said, “more of an experience of what it means to be connected to the brand and a very strong outline of what our values are .”
A commitment to craftsmanship and artisans is at the heart of the brand’s ethos. Milwaukee-born Velez, who positions herself as an outsider and is often characterized, much to her dismay, as a provocateur, is preoccupied with what she calls “geographical condescension,” which largely goes hand in hand with class, and which is easy to understand . to guess, she experienced it herself. “My purest goal as a brand,” she said, “is to really bring a lost Midwestern woman back into the American cultural narrative.” More broadly, the designer “calls for a more multi-dimensional representation of femininity, good and bad; one that accepts the difficult, complicated, ugly truth of womanhood as part of the beauty that makes us whole and complete and 360. It is a character journey that sometimes goes through an antagonistic journey, but ultimately resolves itself with meaning and goodwill.
She’s right to call for a more nuanced interpretation of femininity in fashion. It’s often the case that designers’ descriptions of “their women” sound like this Sex and the city character sketches – or this year swans. The “desk to dinner” archetype is tired, especially since Ozempic has made the food sadly demodé.
Velez hasn’t quite left the runway yet. “It’s fun and visceral, but I care as much about the storytelling as I do the research I put into the work, and I think that deserves an equally celebratory experience,” she said. Still, she opted for an intimate salon this season as, she said, she searched for a way to “create something that feels relevant and like a concrete proposal for what I want to see in the world today and now.” (Depending on how this idea develops, the salon could be a recurring part of the designer’s practice.)
