EWST fashionlab founder
Elena Ryleeva is EWST fashionlab founder and creator of all original content that EWST fashionlab offers through workshops and online courses. She has specialty in Draping and pattern-making where she has achieved internationally recognized mastery.
Initially trained in women’s outer-wear design and bespoke tailoring Elena subsequently completed fashion design studies and got her Master’s degree. Besides she was running a bespoke tailoring salon for fifteen years in the past and her tailoring and fitting experience provided a profound foundation for perfecting the garment shape in draping work.
Her extensive, more than 30 years, expertise covers most areas of fashion design, both theory and practice. Here are Elena' words:
"I have actually been practicing draping for about 15 years now since I bought my first tailor dress form. My previous experience was flat pattern making exclusively, because I was running a bespoke tailoring business for many years and used to draw the patterns directly on the fabric (using basic blocks) and making adjustments directly on clients, this is how I was taught in my first school. This experience gave me the most when I start exploring draping techniques - basically your dress form becomes your "client". And since I knew very well the "fitting" because of practicing the fittings on the clients, the draping method became my tool immediately as there is a direct relation between these two practices. I find the art of draping extremely useful for designing clothing."
Elena is master of draping, in her view that is fully supported by her practice draping and pattern-making are inseparable. As she pointed out draping is an art of pattern-making and consequently the method of designing. The body shape and its curves are the best guide for the designer-pattern maker as it is a direct way to apply fabric to the body shape and envision and draw patterns. Therefore draping occurs more naturally in comparison with flat pattern-making, as well as it enhances the capacities to design profoundly.
Elena has taught Fashion Design academic courses and has traveled with master classes worldwide.
She has own distinctive method of teaching Draping skills, she call it “Designing directly on a dress-form” Attendees of Elena’s workshops say that her teaching is impeccable and classes enormously enchanting.
Apart of teaching online and offline courses and master-classes Elena develops Fabricscape project. "Fabricscape" is innovative pattern-cutting approach devised by Elena that is destined to initiate a new conscious direction in designing of clothing and accessories.
See more about Elena's work:
Testimonials of Elena's students
Get in touch:
Max - EWST fashionlab co-founder, visual artist, art and textile workshops creator Read more about Max and see art workshop page