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The best designers you’ve never heard of.

Dreamy Dresses
With her breathtaking veils and gowns, San Francisco’s Elli Lee is helping brides say “I do” in style.

Name: Elli Lee
Age: 24
Business: Esulée (Esulee.com)
Location: San Francisco

When did you become interested in fashion?
When I was very young. While most of my classmates in junior-high and high school were dressing like clones, I wasn’t afraid of dressing outside the box. I’d mix new pieces with old ones and raid my mother’s garage to find vintage clothing she used to wear in Korea—glamorous pieces and to-die-for shoes, like a pair of vintage Charles Jourdan stilettos that I still wear to this day. My grandmother was a seamstress, and I had watched her sew all of my life. But I never sewed myself until I enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco.

But before you enrolled there, you were a communications major at Western Washington University. What prompted you to shift your focus to design?
Even during finals and midterms, my fashion ideas kept me restless. I didn’t know how to render fabrics or illustrate bodies, but I started to sketch out ideas. I wanted those ideas to become tangible and visible to others, so I changed paths, and I have no regrets.

What led you to launch your own design business?
Instead of being influenced by other designers or having to cater to the masses, I craved individuality. I wanted the freedom to design the way I wanted and the ability to cater to one specific client. Starting a business is especially difficult when you’re a starving student with no financial backing. In fact, I feel like I’m still on the first grueling step, but after that, I think I’ll be running. I envision so many things for my business in the future.

Why did you decide to focus on the bridal market?
I was always intrigued by the bridal industry—the extravagant evening dresses dripping with fabric upon fabric—and white is my favorite color.

What sorts of pieces are you designing now?
All of my dresses and veils are custom-made with yards and yards of exquisite silks. I love silk, and I believe my clients deserve luxurious fabrics, especially on their wedding day. Although I love white, I also like to incorporate color with contrasting fabric into my designs. Each design is unique, and my approach is constantly evolving.

What trends have you been identifying among your customers lately?
I’ve seen a lot of brides having fusion-style weddings lately. A bride might be marrying into another nationality, or her parents might be of dual nationalities, so she must cater to both cultures. She might opt for a white wedding dress but a style that looks more like her own traditional dress, or she might choose a Westernized wedding gown but in a color, like red to reflect her Chinese heritage. The possibilities are endless.

What or who inspires you?
My grandmother is my ultimate inspiration. I also love Valentino, Roberto Cavalli, and Christian Lacroix.

Any good Bridezilla stories?
I haven’t had any horrific brides yet, but I also design bridesmaid and mother-of-the-bride dresses. I did have one mother-of-the-bride-zilla…but I won’t go into detail.

Elli Lee, owner of Esulée.

An Esulée original in double-sided duchess silk satin (price available upon request).

This dramatic cathedral-length veil is fashioned from Venice lace (price available upon request).

Photo Credits: SungWoo Choi, JungMyung and Sungjib Kim

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