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Fashion is more than just a form of self-expression; it is a visual representation of creativity, art, and culture. A great fashion designer is an influencer who changes the way people think about fashion and beauty, who is driven by the beauty of their creations, and who has a deep understanding of the people they are designing for. No one knows this better than fashion icon Elton Ilirjani.
Elton Ilirjani is a name that has been making waves in the fashion industry for years. As a social media sensation, fashion influencer, and LGBTQIIA+ activist based in Brooklyn, New York, Elton is dedicated to using their platform to raise awareness for equality and human rights. With a background rooted in activism and a successful career as a CEO, Elton has been able to make a lasting impact on the world.
Elton originally hails from Albania and has made it their mission to advocate for equality, human rights, and fairness for the LGBTQ+ community on a global scale. Throughout their career, Elton has both inspired and been inspired by the evolution of trends and culture in fashion. New York Wire’s exclusive interview with the artist sheds light on what they think makes a great fashion designer.
“A great fashion designer in my eyes is a “Gianni Versace” in every way!” Elton exclaims. Elton believes in and swears by the creative ethos behind fashion- the pursuit of beauty in everything. “A great fashion designer loves beauty and is led by beauty only, not by momentary interests and scandals, which is something we mainly see in recent times.”
Their perspective on it is a refreshing take. With its innumerable influencers, middling fashionistas and mass-produced personalities, rapid-content platforms like Instagram and TikTok makes fashion seem bigger, and bolder, than it looks. However, everything has to start somewhere, and to some, it’s these platforms where creatives freely share their experiences that elevate fashion into a community experience. Elton says, “a great fashion designer should have enough knowledge and information related to people, and not neglecting what the people want.”
It’s a statement that rings true, most especially. To the uninitiated, the sight of well-known fashion brands that flaunt their eclectic styles but refrain from connecting it to the sensibilities of the common person has been a hurdle for most, and a challenge to some. “I see many arrogant brands and arrogant fashion designers who believe that they can control people and the entire industry with their non-creative ideas and sometimes copy pasting each other in a very vulgar manner. A fashion designer is, first of all, a great artist who loves nature and the human body, and is not going towards violence, abuse, drugs and other non-human choices and paths!”
The disconnect between fashion and people is a conundrum that Elton Ilirjani seeks to heal. Fast fashion industries and wasteful practices have only served to exacerbate the deep-rooted problem with today’s fashion industry. Even worse, social media’s intrusive capacity for misrepresenting queer identity destabilizes a movement that had taken years to accomplish. What was once, historically, a rallying statement that sought to defend the identities of queer people through self-expression is slowly being seen as an insatiable need to “be in the know” and fit oneself into trends.
“In the end, fashion is to serve people and not using people to serve fashion. Fashion is meant to satisfy people’s needs.”
As the founder of the Dignity Global Foundation and The HeadHunter Group, Elton has been recognized for their leadership and dedication to creating change. They have also made history as the first publicly gay man in Albania to come out in 2006 and have since led two transgender acceptance campaigns, the “Lipstick Movement” and the “Nobody is Straight” movement, to promote inclusivity for the LGBTQIIA+ community.
When it comes to fashion, Elton is a well-known figure in the New York City social scene, and has been frequently photographed by agencies like BFA, Getty Images, and Alamy while attending events. Their unique sense of style and eclectic personality have earned them recognition, and they have been featured in several high-profile magazines like Forbes, V Magazine, and LA Weekly.This February, Elton will walk the runway for two iconic fashion brands, BESFXXK and House of Mua Mua, during New York Fashion Week. With over 10 million followers on Instagram, Elton continues to inspire and influence others with their fashion choices and activism. Visit @eilirjani on Instagram, theheadhunter.com, and dignity.global to learn more about this trailblazer and their mission to create a better world.
