Eluroom

Feeling great and looking good is just the perfect match and this months cover brand Eluroom can help you with both. This month UK Based fashion designer Rebecca and her brand Eluroom feature on the cover for the first time so we asked everything! We sat down with Rebecca to speak about launching the brand, it's ethical practices and it's importance as well as where she plans to take the brand.

Rebecca, for the readers who may not have come across your brand Eluroom yet, could you tell us a little bit about who Eluroom is?

Eluroom means joy of life in Estonian, where my father is from. I love that they have one word for this. I am committed to inspiring women to radiate joy through effortless style. The logo of a sun and moon is uplifting and positive & a symbol of female strength. A collection of consciously created dresses. Based on iconic vintage inspired shapes which are destined to be wardrobe staples. You will return to them time and time again as they are so versatile, the silken materials feel beautiful on your skin. The weight makes them easy to layer so you can wear them all year round. You know you look and feel beautiful in them - ready for anything. With this I share style and mindset advice. I want women to fall in love with their style and their wardrobe. Over the course of our lives we spend so much money on our clothes yet 80% of our wardrobe goes unworn. There are many reasons for this, it doesn’t quite go with anything else, we save it for ‘good’ - why do we do that to ourselves? Sorry I digress. Through social media, the newsletter I share advice on how to love and appreciate your style, how to evolve and resist saving those pieces for ‘good. Make the occasion with what you wear.

Where did the desire come from to launch your own fashion brand?

I have worked in the fashion industry for about 30 years. I have come to learn that how you dress your mood and mindset are interwoven. I love the creative process, not only in designing and creating the styles but working with people to solve their wardrobe dilemmas, try something new, find a new colour or shape. It’s incredibly satisfying to work on someone’s transformation. When they put something on and the colour, and shape work for them. The expression on their face, their posture, it all changes.It is wonderful to be a part of it. Alongside this I love sharing style and mindset advice. The first 20 minutes of your day set the bar for the rest of it. If I can give you a dress to throw on knowing you're ready for anything. A positive affirmation or action setting you up to power through your day ready for anything.

When you had decided it was something you wanted to do, where did you start? Researching the dream boat client and how to engage with her, talk with her and gaining her trust. Learning what her ‘pinch points’ are and how to help her. Alongside of this sourcing sustainable, materials and trims, local production. As I was creating the collection I included her on the journey, sharing colours, shapes and inspriation. All of this I did over lockdown, communication was very different. A great deal of it being over zoom calls. The lockdown gave me the resolve to use local production sources. The pattern grader, factory all in a couple of miles radius from where I live. I can cycle to them. The fabrics from Europe predominantly Italy, as they have, not only beautiful materials but use dying and printing techniques which are environmentally friendly. The water comes out cleaner than when it started. I also source deadstock/end of line materials which means preventing waste and unnecessary landfill. Another benefit is small batch production runs, meaning you are getting something far more unique. It’s important that the materials ‘perform’ and are easy to look after. There is more to life than ironing and dry cleaning is time consuming and expensive. The dress looks & feels beautiful and functions. Every dress has pockets. They are easily thrown into a bag & ready to throw on. Perfect for life on the go.

I want to turn the focus to your designs, where do you find the inspiration behind the patterns and designs you create?

For me it all starts with the fabric. One of my first jobs was in a material shop & over the course of my career I have quite an extensive knowledge. There is a story behind the dress which started it all. I have always loved sari’s. Seeing them being danced in, the bollywood movies, when I was in India the seemingly endless rows of colour hanging in the shop. They are a work of art and I wanted to do something with them. I bought a few at the time not knowing what that would be. I drape the fabric to get an idea of how it will move. This makes for a starting point for the shape of the dress. For example the sari are made into a maxi dress with a big frill, which makes for floaty dream of a dress you want to spin and dance it. They also make a kimono wrap dress which plays into the light weight fluidity of the material, ideal for layering. A shirt dress is the ultimate wardrobe choice, using silken materials and a fuller cut in the sleeve and body makes for an effortlessly chic version which will see you through from desk to dinner.

Let's talk about the creative processes you go through when it comes to designing new garments. Is it something that remains the same or you find changes each time?

The premise is the same however like everything in life there are nuances. The idea I have in my head might take some creative problem solving to happen in real life. It’s important for the styles to sit comfortably and flatter and the pattern can be reworked a number of times to achieve this. The styles are simple and chic. I try not to overcomplicate the pattern for the beauty of the fabric, print and colour to shine. To be honest this is the part I love the most - the creation of something new and when the sample is finished it feels like a gift.

Eluroom is clearly a very ethically conscious brand with many different initiatives, but one I would like to focus on right now is the 'rental' of the garments you offer. It's something brands are slowly starting to introduce. My question is what made you decide to offer this and is it something you've found that works?

How many times have you been to an event, party, wedding and bought something new? Something we love at the time and never gets worn again? We have all done it. Rental is a great way to overcome this. You can have something new and fabulous and when you are done with it you can send it back. It’s a wonderful way to try new things and for a fraction of the price. I started doing it as lots of people, including myself wanted to ‘borrow’ the dresses. Gone are the days of having nothing to wear.

What's the feedback you get from your customers?

Customers always tell me how beautiful they feel when they wear the dresses, how many compliments they get when they wear them and how the dress has become one of their favourite pieces. They seem surprised at how often they wear it. Many are repeat customers who have the same style in a few different prints or colours. Often they have a special memory they share - which fills me with joy :)

I think it's fantastic to see more fashion owners / designers become ethically conscious throughout the brand, from your perspective, why do you think it's important to become more sustainable and do you think brands are doing enough?

We only have one planet, if we all take ownership of this, and make incremental change to support the planet, to not only in our business but personal life it will make a difference. I am not saying what Eluroom does is perfect, we are trying to do the best we can with what we know. It is a 3 point approach with the consumer, brand and legislation all playing a part. We can all do more.

If Eluroom was summed up in three words what would they be?

3 is hard... Effortless, inspiring, joyous

We're always looking to try and help our readers here at Hinton Magazine so something we like to ask is, what single piece of advice would you give to someone who is starting a fashion business?

Know your customer, have a plan which is flexible. Build a network of support and don’t be afraid to ask. Most importantly enjoy the process, everything is a learning & goals will keep changing.

What's your goal with Eluroom? Where would you like to see your label in 5 year time?

A thriving community of like minded people, with bricks and mortar locations which not only showcase the collection but are a platform for like minded brands. With events, workshops and experiences, encouraging you to be your best self and radiate joy.

Rebecca, Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

You can shop the full range from Eluroom over at www.eluroom.com. You can also follow the brand on social media; Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tiktok & YouTube