Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Ellis.
Danielle, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born into a rich ancestral knowledge of apparel construction…In the tradition of African Folk-Lore storytelling, I was often told the story of my enslaved ancestral aunt who aided in the construction of her enslavers interiors and fashion designs.
I naively assumed that her skills were acquired as a result and the circumstance of her enslavement and not the preservation of her denied African culture through forced labor.
Interesting enough the details of that story involve her reaping down all the drapes she labored over and cast into a fire in protest. She was protesting her enslavers whipping one of her children, whom they accused of stealing food. She was then beaten as a result of her protest, and to this action, she threatened to kill her enslavers if they ever laid a violent hand upon her children again.
What resolution to this proclamation of death had she left her enslavers with but to comply with her cautionary commandment…the warning dictation of such a valuable piece of their property…a childbearing, trained and skilled seamstress who demanded to be shown the respect of her economic worth within the ‘particular institution’ that was the legal commercialized business of human chattel.
This heritage information evolved into a family wealth of inherited knowledge that groomed a legacy of seamstresses and tailors. My grandmother’s father and her grandmother both owned and managed their own laundry service, dry cleaning, and tailoring businesses.
This coveted couture knowledge and heritage skills were passed to my Grandmother a certified Couturier, who developed apparel samples for Mr. Stanley Marcus (Neiman Marcus). Then onto me in my formative years as I worked in my mother’s rising Interior Design and Event Coordinator business. It was here that my mother aided me in the cultivation of my family’s honored apparel knowledge and my innate art talents. In addition to, being accepted into my high school’s AP Art’s program and laboring part-time at the local textile store, Hancock’s Fabrics abetted greatly in enhancing my inheritance of sewing knowledge and fabrications.
It was during this time period that I forged a directly connected path between the two disciplines of apparel construction and fine art. I discovered that my inherited apparel skills, instinctive creativity, and fine art training were not separate disciplines. That ‘they’ in the socially recognized movement of Art to Wear were ‘in fact’ a unification that defines the collective movement of Wearable Arts.
I never thought that 20+ years ago, my ‘labor of love’ would bring me to my African ancestral roots!
Has it been a smooth road?
Lol…(H*ll No!!)…however, I am not a ‘smooth’ person, so the road, journey, and traveler (me) makes for a challenging puzzle as we value what we work for.
I am naturally an optimistic person who has a deep love for dry inappropriate humor. This being said, the struggles ‘aka’ opportunities that I have faced thus far have enabled me to truly understand my creative discipline and its components.
Meaning, my opportunities for growth derived from circumstances that could and can be addressed in relation to monetary value, reputation, and credibility that lends its self to longevity.
Design, good design within its self is a fluid puzzle that yields continuous opportunities for growth and expanded development of knowledge.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Monèt Portfolio – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I express myself within one of the world’s most ancient visual art disciplines and one of the first genres of public art– The Textile Arts.
I founded Monèt Portfolio, in 2009 originally as an online-digital portfolio reference website that featured sample works of my apparel industry technical training & expertise. In 2011 the portfolio developed into Monèt Portfolio Textile Art Studio, offering services in; Sample Design, Apparel Spec Packages, Cloth Treatments, and Product Development Consulting.
Presently, this once online reference portfolio has evolved into a budding textile art studio with services & product offerings that entail: Instructional Dye Services, Light Travel Art Wares, Digital and Hand-Dyed Textile Art Image Design.
Monèt Portfolio Textile Artistry Studio specializes in Modern-Contemporary Textile Art, Fabric Surface Image Collections and “Travel-Friendly” easy care Wearable Art Wear Assortments in natural fabrications.
We are known for “Wow the Colors!” The most common phrase that we hear when an observer’s eyes fall upon our developments and we beam with delight from this reaction!
MP’s color-expressive, hand-dyed Art Wear’s feature our proprietary dye recipes that enable and reinforce the Wash-Lightfastness (color retention & vibrancy) of our proprietary color palettes that are Machine Washable! (Unless alternative care is notated on the artwork’s tag).
We are the most proud of our in-house developed contemporary ‘historic artisan’ applications that are founded on the Collective World’s desire for colored cloth. This remarkable antiquity of desire has touched every century, continent and country within our Global Textile Art history…evolving its self into The Art of Dyeing as a universal global language that we (social animals) have inherited and built upon within our art world of ancient cultural heritage (building social connects).
Our implementation is also a direct approach to Sustainable Designing with the integrity focus of Slow Fashion. As well as, it minimizes the vigorous industrial scale labor, environmental impact thru ethical production and manufacturing of high-quality pieces.
“My Hue-a-Porter creations are about sharing art, they are not stagnant or about being placed into stationary vaults only for selective eyes. Hue-a-Porter gives the pictorial connection that yields a social commonality thru optical communications…a fellowship that exists between all living creatures and their environments.” –Danielle M. Ellis
Owners and Collectors of Monèt Portfolio’s Hand-Dyed Art Wears, possess a disciplined Modern-Contemporary artwork from this desired progressive Global Antiquity Language. Our offerings are graced with a touch and care that can only come from human-hands (Hand-Dyed)! Each MP Hand-Dyed piece is developed with our ‘historic artisan’ approaches that yield original works of art, that are just as unique with individualism as the wearer!
In addition, MP Ethical & Fair-Trade purchases are a direct act that deepens your immediate connection to your own community. MP assortments are unique gift giving and self-collecting patronage buys that support a thriving ‘full circle’ ecosystem of local and global community building.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
In reference to an African proverb, “When an elder passes a library passes with them.” –African Proverb
The previously stated proverb reflects my optical of living and socializing in Boca Raton, I have a deep-rooted soul and my Mother and Grandmother tell me often that I was born from the past or “that I have been here before.” I enjoy the knowledge and the immediate awareness that it commands and Boca is such a long-standing city full of deep-rooted people.
However, I do wish I could appreciate just as the characters in the Harry Potter novels and bypass all the traffic headed south to attend Miami fashion venues regularly!
Pricing:
- Premier Apparel Designs Start at $140
- Easy Care Silks Start at $30.00
- Services Flat Rate Start at $50.00
Contact Info:
- Website: Https://www.etsy.com/shop/monetportfolio
- Email: danielleellis03@gmail.com
- Instagram: Https://www.instagram.com/monetportfolio/
- Facebook: Http://www.facebook.com/monetportfolio
- Twitter: Https://twitter.com/monetportfolio
- Other: http://www.rawartists.org/dmeformp
Image Credit:
Photographer: Stuart Smith
@daniellem.ellis & @Salon918, @daniellem.ellis & @plastic.kenco, @Plastic.Kenco & @MCninz, @Limvge, @Rebelliousnativ, @thisishadassah, @valentinaferrerofficial, @_Flacahd
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
