The Mockingjay goes "iimuahii"

Contact Elena

www.iimauhii.com

The Interview

Hi Elena! can you start by telling me a bit about yourself?

I'm goofy and love to laugh, I can be a hot head sometimes, I love animals and the environment and do everything I can in my professional life to be as environmentally conscious as possible. I love avant garde fashion and love creating unique things for clients and the entertainment industry.
When did you figure out that you were into fashion design?

As long as I remember. My mom and all the women in my family knitted and always made things for themselves and me and my sister, and that is who I picked it up from at an early age. Since then I had a real interest in it, exploring different paths in fashion as I got older.

Did you design for anyone before PR, if so, who?

I had many celebrity clients before PR and established my own brand. I never worked for another designer after school and just dove in to creating my own brand because I knew exactly what I wanted to do and no other fashion house matched that, so I felt like I would be wasting my time.

What/Who inspires you?

I get a lot of my inspiration from the arts, dancers, opera's and theatre, and also from different cultures. I've always been inspired by scify film and NASA research, and anything that is extraordinary, like deep sea creatures and so on. I like weird and unordinary things, that are not necessarily considered ideal or beautiful, but I find a lot of beauty in them.
Who is your favorite designer?

Gareth Pugh, Iris Van Herpen, and Yoshi Yamamoto

What is your favorite fabric to work with?

Like we all know well, I love Neoprene, but I also love working with wools and different kinds of athletic fabrics.

Do you have a trademark thing you do with your clothes that makes them say “I AM ELENA!!”?

I think I do, my trademark is my construction, I love unique shapes and style line and I think they are pretty recognizable.

How was your time on Project Runway?

I loved participating on the All-Star season because I felt like the judges were more knowledgeable and respected all of us more than the original season judges.

What was your favorite garment you designed on Project Runway?

I think favorite was the avant-garde look from the All-stars season inspired by insects and the cocktail dress inspired by cocktails.

Do you think you have changed from when you were on Project Runway, if so, how?

I have, but it wasn't due to the show, its because I'm getting older and wiser.

How was it working with Viktoria Modesta?

Viktoria is an amazingly talented lady and very inspirational. When she approached me about using some of my pieces for the video, she showed me the spike prosthetic that they created and I immediately said "I'm in!!!" It was extraordinary and I knew right away this would get a huge response.

Space Opera is coming out soon, do you have a favorite piece from that collection?

I think that this collection every piece is special just because of the time it took to produce. I put my heart and soul in to all the pieces and they were treated like my babies, with some of them taking a week or two to produce. I'm very excited to launch it and I'm working with an amazing production company called Genius Orbit for a fashion film that in my opinion will be ground breaking.

Will the collection be sold to the public, if so, for how much?

No none of the pieces from this collection will be available to the public, only to the film and entertainment industry and possibly some private clients. My pieces usually run from $1k and up depending on the complexity of the garments.

Is there anything going on after Space Opera?

I'm currently working on my new exciting project with a Cirque DuSoleil type production that is on going, and that will be my main focus after the launch. I also hope to score some more opportunities in the film industry, after my major debut in the Hunger Games Mocking Jay film. That was a lot of fun and very challenging, and could not have been more fulfilling than to see your work on the silver screen, so I want to keep moving in to that direction.

Do you have any advice for new designers?

Yes, practice your craft everyday to become a better designer, learn as much as you can, be patient and don't give up, don't take criticism to the heart and believe in yourself and keep going!
What is one quote you live by?

Yes! I have a lot of people that always criticize what I do, so my favorite thing to tell them is,

"A tiger doesn't loose sleep over the opinion of sheep"