Olena Wills is a rare kind of artist. A woman who is a blend of her Ukrainian background, science, art, theatre and the chapters of life she has lived, her art is a culmination of her experiences and her experiences inform her art.
When I visited Flying Solo to see the latest talent featured at their New York store fresh off of NYFW I was instantly drawn to the display of stunning bags by Olena. Their structure, the colours, the interesting shapes, the quality of the leather and the fact that Olena is one of the few artisans left in the United States that uses hand stitching in the making of her bags. She really is redefining how one should view luxury fashion. It's certainly not just a label, but a craftsmanship, she is telling the story of a talented artisan creating timeless works of art.
To understand the beautiful construction of Olena’s bags and the craftmanship behind the collection it’s important to know where Olena herself has come from.
Olena’s background is certainly extensive. Pushed by her parents to have a more stable academic background, Olena gained formal training in mathematics, physics and economics, as well as studying art and photography. However Olena tells me, “The artist inside was breaking out” and so came a career change.
Originally from Ukraine, and a second-generation tailor, Olena used to help her mother when she was younger and later began pattern making at age 13. She really always wanted to sew, following in her mother’s footsteps but her mother always told her she was, “Too clever to sew like me” but later Olena told her mother, “I studied as you wanted me to but I want to sew, and unlike you, I love it.” This passion has led her to an incredible career, taking her to so many corners of the world of fashion, art and costume design.
At age 20 Olena already had a small client list, making a variety of garments including prom dresses and jackets. In New York Olena attended FIT. Her talent was instantly recognizable and soon she caught the eye of Broadway, later became a Broadway costume designer at John Kristiansen, producing custom costumes including Frozen, Cat’s, The Greatest Showman and The American Gods, dressing David Bowe and Gillian Anderson, amongst others. Olena also has an eye for capturing art behind the lens having studied photography in England, all of which have helped her creativity and vision for her brand.
However ten years ago, Olena had her ‘aha’ moment. In 2013, Hermès did a 'leather forever' fashion show celebrating 175 years of craftmanship, where artisans in real time displayed the artistry that went into making one of their pieces. It was a huge revolution, a moment where people realised they could make bags with designer quality if they wanted to.
Olena began to hand stitch bags, using a French technique. She’s almost entirely self-taught but had a teacher from France who said that her technique is the same of that of an Hermès bag and this is the technique that Olena uses herself. Soon after Olena New York bags were born and each bag tells a story.
Collections inspired by the New York architecture, some bags you can see the Manhattan skyline, the sun, a skyscraper. The New York taxi, whilst also integrating French, Ukraine avant-garde art. One collection is inspired by the Salvador Dale clock, the shape of the feminine body, all done by hand. Another by the Statue of liberty, “This is what time does, it washes away things” Olena tells me.
The price of the bags reflect the amount of time spent on the creation of the bags, some taking from 120 to 160 hours to complete. Olena does use exotic materials but having studied sustainability, she works with people who supply exotic material in America and has educated herself on how it works, using it very carefully and doesn’t mass produce these pieces. They’re done with the highest of standards and limited quantities. Olena is very careful and conscious about the way she creates her pieces and how she makes them.
Olena's collection includes both architectural and artistic handbags, as well as an Art Deco collection available in different sizes. The Deco bag comes in both leather and exotic variations. She also has the Manhattanhenge and Manhattanhenge Mini bags, along with her latest designs—the Surreal bag and the Copper Wave bag.
I ask if Olena will go back to also making clothes? “Actually, I started doing a clothing collection in September as my friend wanted to do a charity for Ukraine (Fashion for Ukraine charity) and I wanted to do it. For thirty years I was designing clothes, and then for a while I refused to do it, but now I’ve come full circle, wanting to create a full look, with the bags being a part of that look.”
When it comes to her clothing design, Olena likes embroidery, an aesthetic that Ukraine uses a lot of, but Olena uses it in her own way, in a slightly more artistic way. The use of natural fabrics like linen and natural silks are her preferred material but she’s certainly not minimalist.
“Some describe it as ‘too much’” Olena tells me, but “I’m always inspired by my own exeriences. My husband had a heart attack, so one collection I embroidered a big heart on the clothes.” Inspired by designers like Frida Kahlo, she’ll also take inspiration from the colours of a painting, or even an event that can be the catalyst of a new collection.
Olena pulls out her phone and shows me an Instagram photo of her collection, a dress, from her ‘To Frida’ collection, the dress has three layers of silk, transparent, layered. Ukraine has inspired her in another, an artist she worked with who did a drawing that she worked into the piece. Sometimes she’ll use lazer to cut some of the pieces, some embroidery. This collection, Olena tells me is all inspired by her husband who sadly passed. Olena tells me,
The skirt opens up, and the blood is shown inside. As Schiaparelli said, minimalism is dead..
Indeed it is.
Find Olena New York bags at:
IG: Olena New York
Website: Olena New York
Shop at: Flying Solo
Find Olena New York bags at:
IG: Olena New York
Website: Olena New York
Shop at: Flying Solo
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