I started the Ele Horsley label in 2008, after working for several years as a professional pattern cutter in London. After a stint of working in Vietnam I returned to the UK to set up home and my new business in the beautiful English Lake District.
I found that, whilst working for other people was a great learning experience and often great fun, I was not working on garments that I would like to wear myself. So, after many years of dreaming, there came a time when the Ele Horsley label simply had to be born!
With a handful of my grandmother’s tea dresses from the 1930s and 40s hanging in my studio and metres of flowing silk from Vietnam, I was inspired to create a line of dresses that offer the same elegance that my grandmother’s generation experienced, with more than a touch of my own unique design and cut.
The beauty of being such a small business is that I can work personally with every client, offering a friendly and exclusive service to everyone. I create small collections of limited edition pieces, and as I make much of the collection here at the studio, I am able to keep adding throughout the season – so do keep an eye on the website!