Ela Siromascenko

General information

I’m Ela Siromascenko, an independent fashion designer based in Milan, Italy, with a passion for all things vintage-looking, classy and generally nice. I am Romanian, have Ukrainian roots, and have been living in Milan since the end of 2011. I create and make each item of clothing (almost all made to measure and customized) in my studio while secretly hoping to take over the world with my brand, that I have been developing since 2012.

In my previous life I was a marketing specialist in a multiplex cinema chain, with a PhD in Communication. But I had never given up my dream to just create and make dresses all day long. I’d had this dream ever since, as a little girl, I had seen my Grandma’s treadle sewing machine… a magic instrument that had this power that was fascinating to me: the power to join pieces of fabric into a unique and beautiful object that someone could wear. So, since 2010, I taught myself how to sew, bought lots and lots of books, fabrics, sewing machines, mannequins, and started obsessing about selling dresses I made. Once in Milan, I took a dressmaking course that opened my eyes to all the endless possibilities of finally putting my ideas into practice.

I started selling my handmade creations on Etsy in 2012 when I launched my line, Elochka. I owe the very existence of my business to this wonderful marketplace where independent, self-produced designers can directly meet clients from all over the world, with just a click.

At the end of 2014, almost 300 sold dresses after opening my Etsy store, I decided to take the leap and launch my own independent website and e-shop. And I wanted a change. So, after months of work and tough choices, I am launching www.elasiromascenko.com on March 16th 2015. AND I am, from now on, signing my designs with my own name. My brand is becoming Ela Siromascenko.

I get my inspiration mainly from the beautiful fabrics that I find while wandering the fabric stores in Milan. I am an avid fabric collector and I’m mad about floral prints, can’t get enough of them! I can spend hours looking at vintage photos and vintage fashion drawings, like the ones on old sewing patterns, and imagining how I can re-interpret the looks in a modern key.

I think of the woman who wears my designs as very delicate and feminine, a bit nostalgic for the bygone eras of glamourous Hollywood divas, of frills and laces and ruffles, but at the same time strong, confident and willing to make bold style choices, such as wearing a petticoat in the middle of the day just to have a coffee in the city.