Eliana Batsakis is a fashion designer, artist, and educator based in Cincinnati, OH. She thrives in the space where costume and fashion intersect and play. Her collections have been recognized by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, including her own profile on Runway 360. She received the CFDA Design Scholar Suntchi Image-Maker Award in 2020 and was featured in the CFDA’s 2021 Fashion Future Graduate Showcase. She was recently featured as a contestant on Season 2 of Netflix’s Next in Fashion, hosted by Tan France & Gigi Hadid, where she competed alongside well-known designers from around the world.
Often told she “laughs at everything,” Eliana Batsakis brings joy and humor into each of her collections. From a small town in southwest Ohio, Eliana believes your voice can be heard from anywhere - as long as you have something to say. Through voluminous and colorful garments, combined with thoughtful creative direction, Batsakis hopes to create a fashion fantasy all can enjoy.
Upon graduating from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2021, Eliana wasn’t sure where she fit in the industry. Instead of applying to a design job that didn’t feel right to her, Eliana continued to make collections independently. She side-hustled as a Teaching Artist in 2021 for a local non-profit specializing in mural painting. Since then, she has continued her non-profit work with the Ghostlight Stage Company as their Visual Arts Director. Inspired by this community-building, Eliana realized that the fashion industry could always use more of the humility and outreach she experienced. A problem solver at heart, Eliana dreamed up a brand that could build connection and educate young creatives, while still creating the fashion fantasy she enjoys. Since then, she’s been working hard to thoughtfully build a brand from the ground up. Many of these ideas are currently just dreams, but Eliana has always believed that anything is possible with hard work.
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No matter your gender, race, sexuality, body-type, or income - ALL are welcome to wear our clothes. We strive to create an accessible space in fashion where everyone can take part in our narrative. We hope to prove that meaningful fashion can exist anywhere - not only in “fashion cities.” Eliana also leads free and low cost workshops educating the community on fashion history, costume design, etc in partnership with The Ghostlight Stage Co - where she is the Visual Arts Director. She also has plans to eventually sell her sewing patterns to those who do not have the budget for a fully made garment, starting at only $10 through a DIY pattern kit.
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We take pride in our sustainable efforts - we save and reuse all fabric scrap. These scraps are often used to make accessories or even to add embellishment onto new garments. Eliana also patterns each piece to have a low fabric yield - meaning not much fabric is wasted during cutting. Currently, Eliana makes every garment herself in her small studio inside of her apartment with the help of her mom, Amy, or “Mama B” as many call her.
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We have a responsibility to empower and support our community. We believe that story telling connects us all - whether written, spoken, or expressed through garment. Eliana has big plans to continue to build community with her brand through partnerships with local non-profits as well as eventually hosting an annual community runway show for local designers. More on that to come later!
