We have a new member of our KK team to welcome – Ellen DeLisio, our new product project manager. Replacing Andrea, who is settling down in LA as we speak getting ready for the next chapter in her life, Ellen will be taking over the product development arena. We are sad to see Andrea go, but we are lucky to have Ellen as part of the team now! Ellen grew up in a small town near Boston and actually went to school out there as well at a small arts college to study fashion design.

Curious to know how she got into the apparel industry and where her passion stems from, we asked when she got into the fashion world and how she knew it was what she wanted to do after school. Ellen told us that she started sewing in high school while participating in her town’s youth service club called Keep It Wild. This club had annual fashion shows that Ellen took part in for two years and during her senior year she created a collection based on Alice in Wonderland with her best friend. After being a part of those events, Ellen knew right away that fashion was her calling and she decided to go to school to study fashion design so she could confidently go into the industry afterwards.

Being from Boston and going to school there, we weren’t too surprised on her decision to come out to Colorado but still wanted to know why. “Colorado is what made me come here. Just the mountains being right where you are and going from a small city to a mountain town within steps is amazing to me”.  That being said, we wanted to know what she loves most about being in Colorado now that she has settled in, and she said that the mountains will never get old for her. Ellen climbs and had started climbing right before she came to Boulder.  Now that she is able to go and do the real thing, she is very grateful.

Though she loves being in Colorado and takes advantage of everything it has to offer, Ellen also loves to travel. Her favorite place to go is South America, specifically Guatemala. “The culture is so interesting and colorful there. They also have amazing mountains”, Ellen said explaining her love for the destination. She is inspired by places she goes and people she surrounds herself with but, specifically, she is inspired by her mom. Ellen’s mom is hard working and made Ellen into the focused and driven woman she is today. Her mom is also a traveling connoisseur, she is a flight attendant, so they share that special love together. “She is pretty classic. It’s funny because she claims that she isn’t trendy or on top of what is the new thing, but she is usually the first one to come out with the trends. She seems to be really hitting the trends before anyone else is, which always inspires and impresses me”, Ellen said about her mother.

On the other hand, when it comes to people that Ellen hopes to inspire herself, she doesn’t have anyone too specific. She hopes to be able to inspire and be a role model for younger women everywhere. She wants to be able to show that your path doesn’t always end up how you imagined it and wherever you are now, is where you’re supposed to be. Ellen really hopes to get that message across in things she does and is confident saying that whatever happens will happen for a reason and that you just need to go with the flow sometimes, as hard as that can be.

All of that aside, the most important thing we needed to know was what her superpower would be if she could choose any. “I would have to say flying; I have flown in my dreams before and it is so thrilling and I want to feel that in real life” Good choice Ellen; we approve. Besides someday being able to fly, Ellen has a passion for ultimate Frisbee and plays with a group on a weekly basis. Of course I had to ask her to explain the sport to me a bit, but it’s just like football and sounds like a heck of a good time (and workout). She also loves to cook and try new recipes whenever she can. She makes her own almond milk and has just recently started making her own kombucha as well; definitely the signs of a creative and motivated mind. Ellen hiking Maroon Bells

On that note, we wanted to dive into what she is most excited about when it comes to working for Krimson Klover and being a part of the team. “I’m super excited about knits. I see so many interesting pieces being designed for Spring ’19 and some interesting [knit] techniques as well. The possibilities with the colors, materials and unique designs are getting me very excited”.

I had to ask Ellen how she lives up to Krimson Klover’s motto, “Live Boldly”. Ellen lives boldly by having strong opinions about her ways of life, decisions that she makes and lifestyles she chooses to live. “I stay true to how I choose to think and go about my life and don’t see myself ever changing those opinions”. Strong women are who we at Krimson Klover aim to inspire and create with; Ellen is going to fit in great here and we can’t wait to start creating with the new addition to our KK family.

Submitted by: Emma Feeney, Intern