MODA Designer Profile: Ella Anderson

As the publication’s annual fashion show Network MODA approaches, I had the pleasure of chatting over Zoom with designer Ella Anderson about her collection. Ella is a third-year Art History major and Chemistry minor on a pre-med track. Remotely, she works as a volunteer in UChicago’s “Art is… In” project for the Memory Center; there, she does check-ins with participants with memory loss who receive art kits every week. Alongside being a returning designer, she currently serves as the co-EIC of MODA magazine.

You’re a returning designer. What led you back?

“It’s sculptural, almost, breaking down what I’ve drawn out and figuring out how all the pieces can come together from it.”

It was just a really great experience last year. Last year I applied to design totally on a whim, I think I submitted my application five minutes before it was due, it was a very spur-of-the-moment decision. But I just had such a great time doing the whole process—I don’t take any visual arts classes here but it was something I was really into before college, so it was really nice to have a project to do.

I really like doing creative stuff, so last year it was really great to have MODA as a break from work. Because it was such a great experience last year I wanted to do it again, especially since I really liked working with the models and the whole team.

Obviously this year is totally different and the show isn’t going to be the same, but I still wanted to do it because it’s such a great project to work on.

Can you describe your collection for this year?

I’m only doing two looks, I did two looks last year as well. I feel like it’s better to do fewer and do it well rather than spreading myself too thin. Last year I made a white and pale green dress, and this year I wanted to do something more bold and colorful. So, it’s been fun trying out different things, I’m being a little more ambitious in my patternmaking this year. Last year was almost like my introduction to it all, and this time around I figured out how to do things a little better. There’s such a steep learning curve, but it’s great to feel comfortable with what I’m doing.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

A huge source of inspiration is Architectural Digest. I love interior design, so I feel like in terms of color especially, interiors are such a source of inspiration for me. It’s kind of funny, because I don’t really turn to fashion, Pinterest, etc. for inspiration. Definitely more so interiors and nature, looking for color palettes where it’s not necessarily something clothing-related. I really like this Instagram account @jennymwalton, she posts a lot of color palettes and random stuff she sees on the street. I’m definitely more cognizant of looking around at what looks good in non-clothing settings. I like looking everywhere I can for different colors and shapes, especially places you might not expect to find them.

What’s your design process like?

I go through so many different sketches, I honestly have no idea how many different versions of my pieces I went through this year, but it was a lot. I’m always tweaking things, so it took me a long time to actually commit to something. I’ll mess around sketching for a while and if I come up with something that I like, I’ll start making patterns. I really like making the patterns myself, I don’t buy patterns or look them up online because the most fun part of it is figuring out how to structure an article of clothing.

I’ll look at specific garments to see how different brands do seams or specific details that are more flattering, but once I have an idea I really like, I’ll start drawing out pattern pieces on a big roll of tracing paper. It’s a lot of trial and error, transferring what’s in my head onto each individual paper for each individual piece of fabric I’ll cut. It can be tough but it’s something I’m good at, it’s really fun to me.

It’s sculptural, almost, breaking down what I’ve drawn out and figuring out how all the pieces can come together from it. I usually will sew a rough draft of it with cheap muslin to make sure it looks at least kind of okay, but when I commit to a fabric there’s a lot of tweaking since it’s not perfect to begin with. It’s a long process, I’m a little bit too much of a perfectionist when it comes to certain things, so there’s a lot of seam-ripping and starting over, but that’s the fun of it. Really trying to come up with something from my head.

What’s your favorite part of the process? It seems to be pattern-making, right?

Definitely. The design process itself is fun, but to me it’s mostly the actual pattern-making, figuring out how the design will transfer to the complete piece.

While designing, did you keep in mind the fact that the show would be in the internet sphere? Did it bring up any challenges for you?

Yes and no. I only design things that are my personal taste, which might be more simple than a lot of garments that come up in the show. But if the show is going to be digital, you kind of have to have something that’s a little more attention-grabbing compared to what you might see in person. So I gravitated towards much brighter colors compared to last year. At the same time, wanted to follow my own tastes regardless. My approach is a little different since I only want to make things that are truly wearable.

I know a fun part of the show is seeing the spectacles, which are really amazing, but I guess my approach is slightly different. Trying to make something more simple stand out is a bit of a challenge when it comes to adapting to online. I think one of the big reasons why I like doing the show is because it’s very much for myself, it’s just really fun to do. At the end of the day, it’s about what I like to do.

Do you have advice for someone who’s thinking about designing next year?

Don’t be intimidated by it. I definitely was, but everyone is so friendly and supportive and anyone will help you. Last year, one thing that I was a little bit self-conscious about was that my designs could be seen as more boring. Don’t care about that, think about how it’s a great experience to just create and do something for yourself. Don’t get caught up in your head about potential judgement because no one judges, everyone is so supportive. It can be intimidating when you haven’t been in the space before and start thinking, “Can I do something as creative as that?” But that’s not what it’s all about.

What are you looking forward to most about the show?

I’m excited to see how the show is pieced together, the video itself. I think it’ll turn out really well. In the magazine this spring we’re going to have photos of the designs since the magazine is coming out before the show, which has never happened before. We’re excited to give the designers a space where more people can see the garments.

It might be hard to get people to tune into the show online this year, since the whole ambiance of the in-person show was really important for turn-out. So, I’m excited to see how the designers approach it all and how we can get the UChicago community involved to tune into the show itself. We’ve put in a lot of work, so it’s always fun to see the end product. Even if no one watches the show I wouldn’t really care, because it’s been a great experience anyways.

All images courtesy of Ella. Header graphic by Vivian Li