Elisa Pavie

I consider fashion an art form and I am inspired first by fabric and colour. Designing is like dance, with fabric as one's partner in the act of creating. I have to love the feel of the material I work with and much of my work is based on what I would like to wear. It is essential that my garments feel wonderful and comfortable to the wearer. The woman I design for is sensitive to fabric and detailing in a unique way.

I particularly admire the masterpiece designs of the legendary Madeline Vionnet and Elsa Schiaparelli, two European fashion designers of the early twentieth century. Madeline Vionnet, inventor of the bias cut in 1922, gave a fluidity to women's wear with innovative and sensous designs that were comfortable to wear. Elsa Shiaparelli, a surrealist artist in the world of fashion created clothing that was more than apparel as she infused creativity and romance into art. Her designs were characterized by their bold use of color and flair for the unusual.