Whatshot
Feeling beautiful with Eli Ball
Feeling beautiful with Eli Ball
There are people in this world that understand just about anything, Eli Ball is one of these people, he is the Creative Director of Eli Ball made in Africa, an up and coming lifestyle brand based here in Durban.
Eli was raised in Transkei, and at the age of five his family moved to Durban for "better education for the kids". Growing up was always a mixture of creating things. In primary school Eli would always be sketching and playing around with fabric from his grandmother and mother who had different handwork projects going on. He knew that this was what he wanted to do.
"Handwork was always a thing in my family." Eli told The Bugle, "My grandmother would have a little factory on her veranda back in the early eighties making ethnic printed pinafores and my mum would make curtains and food covers. I wanted to design more constructed clothing though. At the age of 17 I started studying designing, entered an annual designer competition and was chosen as one of the top 10."
Eli continued to enter competitions thinking that his success revolved around winning. It took years and a long hard road to realize that he did not fit in. Not because he was bad but because he wasn't in trendthen Eli tried working for a retail company as a visual merchandiser and it felt like he was back in school!
It was an impromptu trip to the UK that opened up Eli's eyes and allowed him to see that there are other individuals that really don't fit into the "normal defined group" but are getting on with life. He returned to Durban and set up his own design studio and has been growing ever since.
"I try to make it my duty to follow what makes me happy. Out of all the things I love doing, designing does that on a daily basisthis has got to be it then! Every journey has ups and downs, this one's worth it! Designing and creating simple & elegant pieces is like playing with magic for me." Said Eli, "Currently I design clothing, household textiles, accessories and website design as another creative hobby."
In 2015 Eli was accepted for the Durban Fashion Fair Mentorship Programme run by the Ethekweni Municipality. He scooped some top 3 prizes and was jetted off to Italy for 2 months for an intense Fashion Branding course. It covered Milan fashion week, Quality control, Branding of a Fashion Business, Textiles and Fashion Show Production. That was a great opportunity. Then in 2016 he was one of 6 Designers to be invited to showcase at the first ever Fashion Week to be held at the Eiffel Tower.
"A commercial line is one of my other dreams. One step at a time A path that will allow me to truly express myself. I really would like the end user to feel extra special and experience that feeling I felt when I was designing the item. Going commercial will allow a few more individuals who love clean, classic, edgy elegant designer items to have access to them via boutiques and an online store."
Currently Eli supplies DFF Emporium but is looking to venture out and find other outlets to make his brand easily accessible to the public. "For me, everything is about feelingsGood feelings. In a world where we all depend on them so much. Something great is happening when you can pass them that onto others in what you create. I really want my brand to reach individuals who know they are individuals. Beautiful individuals." Concluded Eli.
Contact Eli Ball on 072 494 0911.