Raw and assertive femininity remains the theme for Elena Velez at New York Fashion Week, a philosophy she previewed in February at the Freehand Hotel in a show that included a soundtrack where a woman repeated, “She was a disgrace to all women.”
It should come as no surprise that Midwestern Velez - she was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - would embrace a mantra that establishes femininity as something that meshes the gritty with the independent. The region is often overlooked, (just think of the phrase ‘flyover' states), and this sense of being perpetually undermined creates a woman who is tough, fiercely self-sufficient, and assertive in her fashion, if for no other reason than necessity is the mother of iconic fashion.
Velez brings all this to the forefront with fabrics that include army canvas and silhouettes that flaunt the formative sculpture of corsets. She is not afraid of utilitarian femininity - slits sometimes reach the thigh, creating a look that is sexy but also freeing - nor does she shy away from letting stray threads or serial numbers be seen.
With ruched military skirts, diaphanous fabrics, and the use of belts and straps to create a survivalist Mad Max motif, Velez's fashion remains faithful to the idea of being liberating, albeit complementary to the curves and lines of the female form.
More looks below, courtesy of Vogue Runway.
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