GlossMagazineOnline (GMO): Who has inspired you in the fashion industry?
El-Bee: I look up to Betsey Johnson. I just like how she’s still old and still doing what she wants. Also, the late Alexander McQueen just because he’s British and he took over the entire fashion industry.
GMO: What sets your clothes a part from other designers?
El-Bee: I always think about what people don’t have. Since I’ve been designing the more and more I am short of clothes. I’m looking at quality of designs in stores. The market seems like they are short with material.
I care about my customers looking really good. I would never sell something that is too much. In the market you can see they don’t sell sleeves that come to your elbow; they’re cutting back on material. I like to sell my customers quality because I like seeing people look good. I want a person to look at someone who is wearing my dress and ask them where you would get that from. I want it to stand out from the rest of the stuff you see in the mall.
GMO: You held your Spring/Summer 2013 Fashion Show in Houston right? Can you tell me more about it?
El-Bee: My first show was in August 2012 at Belvedere Nightclub. I just recently produced most of my clothes in LA. Before it was just me doing everything now I’m just lightening the burden.
GMO: Not only are you a fashion designer but you’re also a make-up artist?
El-Bee: I do all the makeup in my fashion shows. I got started when I was 14-years-old when I was playing around with it. My friends didn’t trust me with their makeup unless they saw it on other people. When I came to Houston, around homecoming time everybody would ask me to do their makeup and that’s how it started up.
GMO: What started your interest in doing make-up?
El-Bee: It came naturally. I would look in a magazine and would see something Beyonce, Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera had on and copy it. I would stay up all night and my dad would ask why I wore makeup all night but I was practicing. It was dedication. I would practice in the mirror and then YouTube came along and I was practicing more. Right now the Kardashians are my make-up inspirations.
GMO: Since you moved to the United States, do you have a dream location?
El-Bee: I love Houston. Love the lifestyle here. When I was 10-years-old, I said one day I’m going to live in Los Angles. I said one day I’m going to live in America. It was like a dream; it was like a step to the dream coming true. It has always been a dream come true just living in America. Everyone who sees me living here is like this is the beginning of your dream because you always aid toy would move here.
GMO: What can customers expect in the future from El-Bee London?
El-Bee: I want to eventually have a plus size line but not right now. A lot of the clothes we see out are not really cute clothes for plus size people. So probably in the next two years, once the mainstream line is taken off, I want to focus on a plus size cute line that no one has ever seen.
I also just recently start having an appreciation for silk. I want to have a higher end line also with my regular El-Bee London. I design two styles. I realized every fashion show I do I roll up so many styles in one in that collection. I’m planning on showing my high end line in this fall fashion show.
GMO: Where can you be reached?
El-Bee: Elbeelondon.com and Facebook: El-Bee London
