An interview with Elsje Jordan and Stephanie Malatino from ELandTINO

From the designers Elsje Jordan and Stephanie Malatino, that moved from Queensland to Melbourne after finishing Advanced Diploma’s in Fashion and Technology in 2011, their label ELandTINO’s collection bash are coming to you!

They started their label by creating on off avant-garde pieces, the models wearing designs that used satire and pop culture, providing a complete veering off from the obvious trends, and starting something unique and recognisable. Designed from their home studio in Preston, the designers 2013/14 spring/summer collection ‘LEMON Yella’ featured digitally printed ‘I WANT TO BE A FASHION DESIGNER’ hand scribbled on tops. It was picked up by three stockists, featured in 2013 Made in Melbourne annual fashion parade, and several published editorials including ‘Patterns in Natural’ on Portable TV.

This next season collection, already featured in three UK magazines, VOGUE, Tatler and Glamour, this collection is inspired by fan’s devotion to the hit HBO series, ‘Game of Thrones’. ELandTINO A/W collection ‘BATSH**’ will be available February/March at Pussy Cat Black, Cobra Culture, LUPA & Gusto and Elan.

We chat to Elsje Jordan (ELandTINO Designer) and Jessa Rose (Film Maker) about there work together for the ‘BATSH**’ 2014 campaign film.

What are some of the projects you guys have done together?

Elsje Jordan: Every ELandTINO collection has a campaign film and shoot, because it’s such a great creative outlet and so rewarding to see all our hard work in different medias, but we stared working with Jessa last year about April for our ‘Propaganda’ Collection.

Jessa Rose: They where looking for someone to shoot dancers running through federation square, throwing chalk at each other. I put my hands up. We’ve done photoshoots, Campaign films and short editorial films together. We discovered that we work well together, so we’ve stuck to it.

ELandTINO has made several campaign films, what’s the theme of the latest film for Autumn Winter 2014?

Elsje Jordan: We were really fascinated with our friends obsession with Game of Thrones, and the popularity of TV shows in general and we wanted to say something about it. Then we discovered Medieval Re-enactment Groups or Live Battle Re-enactment group Swordcraft. It blew our minds, I mean while most people where just chatting about these shows, these guys would get geared up and actually fighting on an oval in organised teams! It’s very organised.

Jessa Rose: Swordcraft is the most popular live battle group in Melbourne, so we went around 6pm on a Friday night, and watched everyone slowly transform from a Modern uniform to Medieval knights of Melbourne. It was really amazing, people seemed to have come from all over. We felt a real community vibe, and a underlying lust for ‘Game of Thrones’.

Tell us more about the Collection BATSH** Autumn/Winter 2014…

Elsje Jordan: As a smaller label we like to create as little waste as possible only making small runs at a time, which sometimes means we run out of popular designs or fabrics quickly. We’re really excited to actually be using doona material in some of our jumpers for Winter this year, and some gorgeous natural fibres. We also experimented with prints creating original designs including Tigers, Lochness Monsters, Sea Monsters and Dragons.

What was the idea behind the ‘BATSH**’ campaign film?

Jessa: It was pretty funny filming a model dance around, acting silly while grown men played dress up’s but we tried to be respectful. We defiantly weren’t making fun of there hobby, we just wanted to capture the raw pop culture reality. Some where keen to be involved but others thought we were either going to prank them or they honestly didn’t have time for us because they had to pre- battle practice. It was an amazing experience.

Why do you think fashion films are so important in 2013?

Jessa Rose: Film is a fantastic medium for the fashion industry. Through film you can tell stories, create characters, construct whole worlds and bring your audience beyond the clothes and into the ideas that inspired them. It also brings fashion out of the small bars and catwalk events onto the internet, to a much wider audience. It allows fashion to have a far longer life.