Feature Friday Elaine's Couture
With dreamy and evocative photography—and even dreamier creations—exploring the Instagram and website for this month’s feature is an inspirational feast for the eyes! Offering meticulously researched historical and historically inspired gowns, corsets, and wedding dresses, Elaine’s Couture has nearly everything you could want from the mid-15th century to the early 20th century.
Photography courtesy of Erica Mottin.
Dunia, the artist behind the shop, elaborated on how she creates the unique designs in her collection and on how no two pieces are alike. “Each garment is made following an artisan process and I use historical techniques also for my original designs,” she explained. “Mostly I work on custom and/or bespoke orders, but sometimes I introduce some ready-to-ship items that showcase a new historical design or simply that follow my creative vision…I love that each project will never look like something I did before and that each customer will have a unique piece or outfit.”
Photography courtesy of Erica Mottin.
“The moment that the design starts to feel alive is when I choose the fabrics,” she added. “I try to use as much as possible local suppliers who will not remake the same fabric or color each season. I like to propose different color combinations to customers (even for historical clothing my motto is ‘don't be scared of colors’) and probably spend more time than I should going through fabric charts.”
Photography courtesy of Erica Mottin.
“I love researching and getting each detail as close as possible to the original,” she continued. “Even though I mostly work on what we can call ‘upper class attire,’ my true passion is peasant attire. I find it so fascinating and it's a huge source of inspiration also for the non-historical designs.”
Photography courtesy of Erica Mottin.
But she doesn’t look only to historical sources when it comes to finding creative inspiration. “I really like going to costume events, historical or fairy tale themed, and it's a great way to create silhouettes or styles that I don't work often with, or try new materials or techniques with a more relaxed attitude. Of course some of these projects have been ‘secretly’ added to the business side and shown to customers because I really liked the design or, for example, the different color palette.”
Photography courtesy of Erica Mottin.
And like so many of us, her passion for historical clothing started from a young age and was inspired by someone very close to home. “I grew up with a grandpa who loved the theater and making costumes inspired by his favorite plays and paintings,” she explained. “It sounds cliché but I started quite early to sew and be interested in film costumes and fashion (the more extravagant and with a clear historical reference, the better), so I studied to become a fashion designer, but I fell in love with historical clothing and recreating them.”
Photography courtesy of Erica Mottin.
In addition to her bespoke and custom work, Dunia also offers consulting services on the history of Italian fashion from the 15th century to the 19th century, as well as teaching workshops and classes about dressmaking, the history of costume, and fashion design. “Practical classes and workshops are in-person and one-to-one,” she explained. “It's not only because the studio is too small for more than two people and the cute office cat, but it's because every person learns in a different way and will work and create at a different pace. I like to keep the classes a little bit challenging but still enjoyable for everyone, no matter if you already have some experience or if you are a beginner.”
You can find out more about Dunia’s work and see all of her bespoke offering on her website, www.elainescouture.com, and you can see more of her beautiful creations on her Instagram @elainescouture.