Elena Velez’s Apocalyptic Collection

Any of Elena Velez’s Spring 2023 runway looks would have been appropriate on the set of a Zombie Apocalypse movie. Of course, this is what she was aiming for; to bring discomfort in a big way as a wake up call to the fashion industry.

Photo: Daniele Oberrauch via Vogue

Velez believes that fashion is about more than just “a pretty thing,” but that it should be meaningful in process as well as product. This came through clearly in a collection full of glamorously unglamorous looks on which the creative process is easily visible. 

The clothing looked stained, torn, unpolished. This brings to mind utility; clothing is meant to be lived and worked in. It references American workwear and trucker clothing while still leaving room for a little bit of whimsy and Victorianism. Fabric ranged from rough canvas, to latex, to delicately sheer fabric, exposing the wildly creative journey that this collection takes.

In many ways, Velez seems unconcerned about what the rest of the fashion world is doing; still, there were moments in the show that anchored it to today’s trends, like tights with no pants and sheer dresses. 

Photo: Daniele Oberrauch via Vogue

The show itself mirrored the theatricality of the clothes, with models hands painted black with talons or undead red eyes. They walked down the runway with what is described by Velez as ‘female rage’. 

Photo: Daniele Oberrauch via Vogue

Merging high fashion with a midwestern sensibility and a definite degree of anger, this collection does something radical. It looks at the grittiest, plainest side of America through an artistic, curated lens, and this juxtaposition is what drives the collection to such heights.