Today we’d like to introduce you to Olga Chaplinskaya.
Hi Olga, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Guess I can say I started designing when I was a little girl. Ever since the age of about 7, I started taking on sewing classes, just as a hobby at school. I was making clothes mostly for my Barbie dolls. I still have those pieces I made, it’s boxes and boxes of tiny little clothes. If I saw a piece of fabric laying around, I would use it making a new outfit for my dolls. Or if mom let me, I would cut her old skirt and use that fabric. Ideas just came to me. Sometimes I would see what my mom or grandma would wear, get inspired, and make that for the dolls.
I still remember the first time I laid my eyes on a fashion magazine. It was my grandma’s, must have been from the 50s. I couldn’t stop looking at those pages. I was instantly drawn and mesmerized, by the models, by their poses, by how the outfits were all put together. It was years before I was able to get my own first fashion magazine – Elle Spring/Summer 2002. I still remember how it smelled, fresh off the print.
When I was about 12, I designed a first outfit for myself. It was a summer outfit – shorts and a one-shoulder top of salmon color. I just saw a vision of what I would like to wear, choose fabric, and my godmother would sew it for me. She was a teacher of one of those sewing classes at schools and just a wonderful seamstress! I thank her and my grandmother for giving me the inspiration and attachment to sewing and designing. I created a new outfit every 2 moths or so. Choosing fabrics was my favorite part of the process. Going through rolls and rolls of fabrics, touching their textures, learning what would and what wouldn’t work for this or that idea really was my favorite thing to do in my free time. By the time I graduated from the university, 70% of the clothes in my wardrobe were designed by me and sewn by my godmother.
I loved doing that but was convinced I couldn’t go to study design because I wasn’t good at drawing. The idea of having to draw the sketches, and me being terrible at it, made me never seriously consider taking on design as a profession or studying for it. I went on to study linguistics and foreign languages instead. As for my love for fashion, I expressed it through becoming a model. I was doing runway, editorial, and commercial print for over 15 years.
I moved to the USA in 2008 and instantly fell in love with the country and with the abundance of opportunity it offers! I think having lived here for 14 years is what gave me that feeling and confidence that anything is possible. And that whether you can or cannot draw, you can still do what you love and achieve anything you want.
That’s how I got the idea of starting my own clothing line. I knew from the start it would be linen, only linen. Linen flax plant grows naturally in my home country (Belarus), and I always saw it as a national treasure, not appreciated enough locally. Also having modeled thousands of different outfits during my modeling days, I got to learn just how terrible fast fashion is, and the footprint it leaves on the planet. Clothes have become disposable, and the quality leaves much to be desired. I wanted to make something that could last a lifetime, timeless pieces of premium quality, only from fully natural materials. And right there, Ellettelle was born.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road. Having had no business education, I had to learn everything on my own mistakes. And I still do. From creating an LLC to drawing those sketches and explaining my ideas to the seamstresses, to organizing the shipment of the first collection all the way from Belarus… I had to learn everything as I go. And hit many bumps along the way.
Also, I am still the only person running and working at the company. My parents help me with the production part in Belarus a bit, and my sister helped out a couple times at local fair events with in-person sales. But otherwise, I have to carry all the weight from A to Z. And that can’t always be easy, especially having a 3-year-old on my hands as well 🙂
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Ellettelle is a brand of linen clothing for women. I am the owner and the creative designer for the brand.
Inspired by our travels to the Mediterranean coast and anchored by the philosophy of everyday minimal luxury, Ellettelle proudly uses only highest quality linen sourced direct from Europe, where it is grown naturally. Our carefully selected fabrics are then used by a small team of artisans to have your outfits handmade in limited quantities into premium pieces that will last you a lifetime.
When creating Ellettelle and designing the first collection, it was crucial to me that everything we use to make our pieces is of natural origin. That goes not only for our beloved linen but also every little button and tag are made of natural materials that are fully biodegradable. So that after 20 or 30 years when you are done loving your Ellettelle piece, you can lovingly rip it up and return it back to Earth with no traces left.
At Ellettelle we stick to the principles of slow fashion. We create only limited amount of pieces per style, which make each Ellettelle item utterly unique. Knowing that you have purchased an outfit that very few others own is something we believe to be truly special. With focus on premium quality and mindful manufacturing, our aim is to create timeless pieces that are crafted to last.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I believe people are becoming more and more aware of the impact fast fashion is having on us, our society, and of course our planet. They are becoming more conscious in their choices. They tend to choose sustainable or recycled fabrics. They prefer to buy from brands with a sustainability commitment. I am sure this will continue on for the next decade, which is a great positive trend!
They are also becoming more aware of consumerism in our culture. I believe people are tired of poorly made clothes that fall apart after a couple wears or washes. I hope they start paying more attention to premium quality, to where the items are made, whether it’s mass-produced or crafted in small quantities, in ethical ways towards both the planet and the people who made these clothes. Also buying less in general, considering your purchase twice before hitting the BUY button. Instead, investing in pieces that will last for decades and potentially be passed on to younger generations. Clothes and fashion should be valued, not be considered disposable.
Pricing:
- $35 is the cheapest piece on my website – which are hair bow accessories. They are made of 100% linen and attached to a French-made barrette clip.
- $345 is the most expensive piece which is our Highlander Jacket. It has character, uniqueness and it does cost us a penny to make it and bring it to the US from Europe.
- $175 is the average price for a dress. Linen is an expensive material because of the lengthy and tedious process is takes to make fabric from the flax plant. Importing costs certainly play a part for us as well. These are the pieces that are made to last you for many seasons ahead though, being of timeless design and linen being the most durable fabric one can find.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ellettelle.com
- Instagram: @weknowlinen https://www.instagram.com/weknowlinen/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weknowlinen
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ellettelle8968
Image Credits
Tim Denin
COTU Media
