Elsa Brodmann is a testament for those who decide to walk down uncharted paths as she heroically pursues fashion design in New Orleans.
Elsa Brodmann is a product of a long line of fashion designing in her family. Ottilie Brodmann, Elsa’s paternal grandmother and namesake of her women’s contemporary line, was a dressmaker in Germany. Brodmann recalls, “I definitely spent summers in Germany and saw pictures of her work but my maternal grandmother actually taught me how to sew.”
Beyond family inspirations, Brodmann turns to vintage films as a muse for her designs. “I usually look at a couple of films and get inspiration for clothes from there,” shared Brodmann. Some of her “go to” film eras are the fifties and sixties along with silent movies and works from Alfred Hitchcock. Brodmann said that her current Fall/ Winter line was inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s film “A Space Odyssey.”
Brodmann is a native of New Orleans but says that while she was away for schooling in San Francisco and Chicago her appreciation and perception of her hometown grew, especially as it pertains to fashion. “I feel like I am apart of a budding scene that hasn’t been here before,” says Brodmann. Because of a growing art and film scene, Brodmann foresees New Orleans’ fashion industry expanding within the next three to five years.
Although there is a lot of inspiration within the local culture for Brodmann’s creations a big setback she said she faces being based in New Orleans is the lack of fabric sourcing. But aside from having to get fabrics out of town, Brodmann sees the importance of supporting local businesses. She tries to get all other aspects of her designs accomplished locally and is heavily involved in helping local charities and non-profits.
Considering that the creative process is an integral part of fashion design, Brodmann is motivated by the works of Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli and French designer Andrè Courrèges. She said she admires Schiaparelli for her innovative, progressive and humorous work. But when it comes to Courrèges, Brodmann says “I feel like my esthetic is more like his besides my color palette and inspiration changes.” She stated that she thinks highly of Courrèges’ structural standpoint which was very modern in his time.
Brodmann keeps her creative wheels turning not only designing for her Ottilie label, but also maintaining the works in her jewelry and bridal collection. She prefers to keep the bridal collection haute couture because she feels that it is best to sew the dresses tailor made for the buyer. And even though her jewelry line is mostly garnished with pearls and sterling silver created to compliment the bridal collection, Brodmann is expanding the line by adding gold pieces.
For the past six months, Brodmann has been busy preparing for her second solo fashion show which was presented at the Vintage Church on Magazine Street. Marketing, promotions, photo shoots for look books, sample sewing, alterations, model bookings and rehearsals are just some of the tasks Brodmann braved along with the help of her dutiful interns. “I learned a lot from doing my first solo show and feel like this time around I was more efficient,” said Brodmann.
Currently Brodman is the editor for Turnstile Magazine, a quarterly fashion magazine published by Terrence Sanders, founder of ArtVoices Magazine. She is also the Founder and Fashion Editor for Amelie G Magazine, an online style magazine focused on featuring emerging artists and designers. In March 2010, Brodmann began teaching classes at the Louisiana School of the Visual Arts and she preparing to open a specialty clothing boutique in the Lakeview area in New Orleans, LA.
While it still baffles Brodmann that a fashion industry has never grown in New Orleans she is happy to be home and can’t get enough of the city’s flavor. Brodmann boasts, “I am constantly reading books with characters that have been based in New Orleans so that I can learn more background about the city and the rich history it has.”
For more information on Elsa Brodmann and her designs go to www.ottiliebrodmann.com or visit her magazine site at www.ameliegmag.com
Here are Brodmann’s 7 tips to getting started in the Fashion Industry
1. Know the type of market you want to design for. (i.e. bridal, Ready-to-wear, Eveningwear, Menswear,accessories,etc.)
2. Take figure drawing classes. Knowing the human figure will help with drawing initial design sketches.
3. Read all of the industry publications to get an idea of how the market is going (WWD is a must!)
4.The book 9 Heads is a great one to have around. It breaks down everything about designing a collection, Also Christian Lacroix:The Diary of a Collection is a great resource! It shows you how Lacroix starts with his inspiration and designs his couture collection.
5.Keep up with your sewing and patternmaking skills!
6.Collaborate with other designers! You will help inspire each one another and will also learn how to work well with other creative people.
7.Never give up! This business is a very competitive one! Know your market and walk the fine line of being creative and still designing a product that your customer will want to buy. Rejection will happen. Learn from your mistakes and let it make you a better and stronger person.
July 19th, 2010 at 8:23 pm
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