{"id":168959,"date":"2026-01-26T07:00:35","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T12:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/?p=168959"},"modified":"2026-01-26T12:31:41","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T17:31:41","slug":"ellie-misner-makes-demi-couture-for-every-body","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/?p=168959","title":{"rendered":"Ellie Misner Makes Demi-Couture for Every Body"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\n.centerimg {padding:4em 7em;margin:20px 0;}\n.centerimg2 {padding:4em 4em;margin:20px 0;}\n.centerimg3 {padding:4em 3em;margin:20px 0;}\n.sidetxt {padding:16em 2em 16em 2em;;margin:20px 0;}\n.centerimg img {margin-bottom:0px;}\n.instagram-media {margin:auto !important;}\n#wp-content hr {margin: 40px auto 80px auto;width: 80%;}\n<\/style>\n<div class=\"centerimg\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/EllieMisnerDemiCouture25_MorganeMaurice110_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-169066\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/EllieMisnerDemiCouture25_MorganeMaurice110_1.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/EllieMisnerDemiCouture25_MorganeMaurice110_1-640x427.jpg 640w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/EllieMisnerDemiCouture25_MorganeMaurice110_1-1280x854.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/EllieMisnerDemiCouture25_MorganeMaurice110_1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><br \/>\n<small>Photo &#8211; <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/morgane-maurice\">Morgane Maurice<\/a> | Image courtesy of Ellie Misner Studios<\/small>\n<\/div>\n<p>British designer <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/ellie-misner\">Ellie Misner<\/a> entered the fashion industry at an uncertain moment. After five years of studying Fashion Design at Brighton University, she graduated at the height of the pandemic, at a time of collective doubt and job scarcity. After a brief stint of existentialism, Misner then turned inwards. Drawing from what was immediately around her, Misner began pulling fabrics from friends and family, upcycling corsets into sculptural pieces, a silhouette that would soon become synonymous with her name. Her first collection, released in 2022, quickly caught the attention of British Vogue, marking a pivotal turning point. Since then, Misner has continued to refine a language rooted in innovation and wit, blending historical references with modern, avant-garde sensibility. <\/p>\n<p>Renowned for her exceptional approach to fit and form, Misner creates custom pieces for every body. \u201cI just want to make people feel seen and feel beautiful,\u201d she says. \u201cThat\u2019s the motive\u201d. Showing off season, prioritising integrity and mental resilience over industry pressure. Over the past three years, Misner has presented two demi-couture collections and dressed a growing roster of collaborators and creatives, including Tems, SZA and Myha&#8217;la Herrold. On a December afternoon, she sat down with Models.com contributor <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/georgia-moot\">Georgia Moot<\/a> to discuss her evolving career, the tenacity required of a young designer today, and how body diversity remains intrinsic to both her practice and her vision.<\/p>\n<p><center>Interview by <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/georgia-moot\">Georgia Moot<\/a> | Editor <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/irene-ojo-felix\">Irene Ojo-Felix<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n<div class=\"centerimg\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Myhala_Vogue-World.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1440\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-169061\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Myhala_Vogue-World.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Myhala_Vogue-World-480x640.jpg 480w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Myhala_Vogue-World-960x1280.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><br \/>\n<small><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/myhala-herrold\">Myha&#8217;la Herrold<\/a> | Image courtesy of Ellie Misner Studios<\/small>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>I wanted to start by taking it back to the beginning \u2014 how did you get started in the fashion industry?<\/strong><br \/>\nI graduated into COVID. I finished in 2019, then the world shut down. I started making corsets from my bedroom, using my eBay pile and collecting curtains from my grandparents and my parents&#8217; house. I started upcycling it all into corsets, and the designs picked up. Then, in September 2022, I did my first demi-couture collection, which was picked up by British Vogue as an emerging designer to watch. Then I was like, \u201cOkay, maybe we have something.\u201d So it\u2019s been about three years now. Nothing was planned, everything kind of just happened, and here we are.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You mentioned demi-couture. I was wondering if you could define what that means and what niche you live in?<\/strong><br \/>\nI think it can mean multiple things to different people, but essentially, to me, it\u2019s the point in between haute couture and ready-to-wear. You&#8217;re making couture pieces, using a lot of the techniques, but it\u2019s not so serious. It fits into that custom, bespoke area, but it\u2019s a bit more modern and accessible. I still want the fantasy, I still want the camp and the glamour, but I don&#8217;t want it to be for, like, three people. I guess that\u2019s what demi-couture means to me.<\/p>\n<div class=\"centerimg\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Sza_AMAs.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1440\" height=\"1800\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-169063\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Sza_AMAs.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Sza_AMAs-512x640.jpg 512w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Sza_AMAs-1024x1280.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Sza_AMAs-1229x1536.jpg 1229w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/><br \/>\n<small><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/sza-r\">SZA<\/a> | Image courtesy of Ellie Misner Studios<\/small>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Something I\u2019ve always admired about your work is how central body diversity and the female figure are to your creative vision. Where does that come from, and has it always been inherent to your ethos?<\/strong><br \/>\nI think it\u2019s always been how I\u2019ve worked and been important to me. From the very beginning, I made pieces in all sizes, and did bespoke work. Then, in my first collection, I used two models: one was a sample size, and one was a size eighteen. So from the very first collection, I decided this was something I wanted to focus on. When you\u2019re making made-to-measure pieces, and you&#8217;re a couture designer, why wouldn&#8217;t you be inclusive? That\u2019s literally the point of making something made-to-measure &#8211; I can make things for multiple sizes.<\/p>\n<p>All the women in my life are different sizes. My best friend is a curve model, all the women in my family have massive boobs, and I&#8217;m five two and curvy, so why would I make pieces I can\u2019t wear? I think there are elements of it that are self-indulgent &#8211; it\u2019s for me and my girls &#8211; but there&#8217;s also the fact that I think it\u2019s really important. I believe making someone feel beautiful shouldn&#8217;t have anything to do with being a certain size. It\u2019s been three years now, and the pattern-cutting skill I have now is worlds apart from when I started. I think that it only makes me better by working with different bodies. To be completely transparent, it\u2019s harder. But I think I&#8217;m constantly improving by choosing to be inclusive.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;All the women in my life are different sizes&#8230;so why would I make pieces I can\u2019t wear?&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>What does corsetry represent to you, and why does it feature so prominently in your work?<\/strong><br \/>\nI\u2019ve always loved altering the body and playing with proportions and shapes. Corsetry allows you to play, because it\u2019s such a solid base. You can add so much to it and alter what\u2019s already there. Combined with working with different bodies, it becomes a device where you\u2019re essentially creating underwear for different support systems. It creates a backing, where everyone is supported by this base, and then you can do what you want with the base. That\u2019s why I love it, because it gives you free rein. It\u2019s like creating a blank canvas. I think it\u2019s really fun to change someone\u2019s whole shape, it\u2019s like playing dress up. It\u2019s stepping into a world of fun and camp, but it\u2019s not silly and it\u2019s not a costume.<\/p>\n<div class=\"centerimg\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Jorja-Smith.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1440\" height=\"1800\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-169060\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Jorja-Smith.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Jorja-Smith-512x640.jpg 512w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Jorja-Smith-1024x1280.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Jorja-Smith-1229x1536.jpg 1229w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/><br \/>\n<small><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/jorja-smith\">Jorja Smith<\/a> | Image courtesy of Ellie Misner Studios<\/small>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>I wanted to move into talking about your custom pieces. What do you enjoy most about custom work, and do you see it as a dying art?<\/strong><br \/>\nI genuinely think the opposite. So many brands are moving into this made-to-measure custom model, because at the end of the day, the world\u2019s dying, we\u2019re in a recession &#8211; the fifteenth one of our generation &#8211; so if you&#8217;re going to spend money on a beautiful piece, you want it to really fit. You don&#8217;t want to be like, \u201cOh, cool, this dress is two thousand pounds, I hope it fits my bum and waist at the same time.\u201d Obviously, it\u2019s such a niche, right? And the price point isn&#8217;t accessible to the majority, so I think if you\u2019re doing it, it makes sense to do it properly.<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t think bespoke will ever die out. Even if it\u2019s one dress in your entire life, like bridal, people want to feel their very best. They want to know they\u2019re spending money on something that&#8217;s going to be made properly and for them. That\u2019s why I enjoy it so much. There\u2019s nothing more enjoyable for me than seeing someone try something on and the first, second, and final stages, and at every point being like, \u201cOh my God, I&#8217;ve never felt like this in a piece before.\u201d You can&#8217;t compare that feeling. Hearing someone say, &#8220;I&#8217;ve never put a dress on before and felt good about myself,\u201d makes me emotional. It makes me fall in love with it again, because I think we\u2019re taught as women to hate ourselves so much. If you can do something that makes someone love themselves, that\u2019s an amazing thing. I don\u2019t make clothes for you to fit into; I make clothes for you and that&#8217;s why bespoke and custom are so important to me.<\/p>\n<div class=\"centerimg\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Tems-Glastonbury.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1440\" height=\"1799\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-169064\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Tems-Glastonbury.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Tems-Glastonbury-512x640.jpg 512w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Tems-Glastonbury-1025x1280.jpg 1025w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Tems-Glastonbury-1229x1536.jpg 1229w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/><br \/>\n<small><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/temilade-openiyi\">Tems<\/a> | Image courtesy of Ellie Misner Studios<\/small>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>I wanted to talk about collaboration when you\u2019re making custom pieces. How collaborative is that process?<\/strong><br \/>\nIt completely depends on who it&#8217;s for and the timescale. For music tours or celebrity work, the turnaround is usually tight and it\u2019s collaborative in the sense that I usually work directly with the stylist. On rare occasions, I work directly with the person themselves. When I did a look for Jorja Smith, it was just me and her. She picked elements that she liked, we made adaptations, she came in to try them on, and then we worked around what she did and didn&#8217;t like. That was super quick, a couple of weeks, and very collaborative. When it\u2019s more of a true collaboration, you&#8217;ll go through sketching, then approval, then fabric options, sometimes they&#8217;ll even send a Pantone board and I&#8217;ll source from that. I\u2019ll usually be quite pushy with what I like, because I don&#8217;t want to make things I don&#8217;t. So it\u2019s a sliding scale, an ebb and flow.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Did you have any mentors or advice that stuck with you?<\/strong><br \/>\nI never had true mentorship, which I struggled with. I always wanted it, but I didn&#8217;t know where to ask or I wasn&#8217;t in the right scenario. People have definitely helped me along the way, though. The main thing I&#8217;ve been told is that I&#8217;m a baby in this industry. When you see what other people are doing, it\u2019s easy to compare yourself and think, &#8220;I&#8217;ve been doing this for three years, I&#8217;m 30 now &#8211; how long do I keep going?\u201d Someone literally said to me, &#8220;You&#8217;re a baby. Relax. You\u2019re doing fine.\u201d That stuck with me. I think it\u2019s easy to get caught up in the comparison game. I\u2019m super guilty of it, but I think that&#8217;s probably the best advice that I received, because it puts me in my place. <\/p>\n<p>I worked with Zezi [Ifore] for the British Fashion Awards, and she\u2019s definitely been a mentor to me over the past couple of years. She\u2019s amazing at making it clear that she believes in you and your craft. That energy has been really helpful. I have this ironic balance of extreme confidence and low self-esteem. It\u2019s taken me a few years to find my community, people who genuinely support me and are kind. Fashion is toxic enough. Let\u2019s be nice.<\/p>\n<div class=\"centerimg\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Zezi-Ifore_Fashion-Awards.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1440\" height=\"1920\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-169065\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Zezi-Ifore_Fashion-Awards.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Zezi-Ifore_Fashion-Awards-480x640.jpg 480w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Zezi-Ifore_Fashion-Awards-960x1280.jpg 960w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/Zezi-Ifore_Fashion-Awards-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/><br \/>\n<small>Zezi Ifore | Image courtesy of Ellie Misner Studios<\/small>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>What have you learned through showing collections or participating in bigger events like the Fashion Awards? <\/strong><br \/>\nBoth shows I&#8217;ve done have been in-house and off-season, and they taught me I wasn&#8217;t ready. It\u2019s not that I don&#8217;t want to show; I think everything I make translates better in person. It\u2019s that I didn&#8217;t have the backing or money to present what I wanted to present. The shows weren&#8217;t bad; they were both fab, and the teams were incredible, but being a one-woman band made it difficult. In comparison, big events like the Fashion Awards are easier for me because it\u2019s one day, it&#8217;s not about me, I just make the clothes and send them out. I don\u2019t work seasonally, as I want what I show to be intentional, so I&#8217;ll put out a collection when it&#8217;s ready. I don&#8217;t want to present work that isn\u2019t exactly who I see myself as, and maybe that&#8217;s my stubbornness, or my unwillingness to be part of the rat race. But I don\u2019t want it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How have your designs evolved, and where do you see them heading?<\/strong><br \/>\nThe vibe has always stayed the same; it always has a touch of humour, a touch of camp. My skill level is worlds apart from what I made when I first started. I\u2019m embarrassed by what I made when I started, but I&#8217;m proud of where I am now, especially with pattern cutting and designing. I\u2019m focusing more on the couture elements, working a lot with embroidery, building a textile, and playing with silhouettes. I want to keep elevating and refining without losing the silliness. That silliness is something I want to push next year. The next collection is about nostalgia around turning 30, what I grew up with, but it&#8217;s still a demi-couture collection.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are your hopes for the future of fashion?<\/strong><br \/>\nI don&#8217;t want to end on a negative note, so I do think it will get better. I just don&#8217;t know when. The world feels like it\u2019s going backwards, but the more it retreats, the more people push back. I think there will come a point when people are like, \u201cI hate this. I hate the rise of Ozempic, I hate conservatism, I hate all of this shit.\u201d Whether that&#8217;s now or in two years or five years, I do think there will be a point where fashion says, \u201cThis has gone too far.\u201d The pendulum has swung pretty far, and I think it\u2019s time for its return. I don&#8217;t think about the future much. My brain works on a six-month timeline. I&#8217;ll keep doing what I&#8217;m doing and see where we\u2019re at. Come back to me in June 2026 and then we\u2019ll be prepping another collection. Let\u2019s say it\u2019ll all be great. It\u2019s all going to be fab and all the emerging designers are going to rise up and find lots of support.<\/p>\n<div class=\"centerimg\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/EllieMisner_Headshot.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-169068\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/EllieMisner_Headshot.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/EllieMisner_Headshot-480x640.jpg 480w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/EllieMisner_Headshot-960x1280.jpg 960w, https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/oftheminute\/images\/2026\/01\/EllieMisner_Headshot-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><br \/>\n<small><a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/ellie-misner\">Ellie Misner<\/a> | Image courtesy of Ellie Misner Studios<\/small>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Photo &#8211; Morgane Maurice | Image courtesy of Ellie Misner Studios British designer Ellie Misner entered the fashion industry at an uncertain moment. After five years of studying Fashion Design at Brighton University, she graduated at the height of the pandemic, at a time of collective doubt and job scarcity. After a brief stint of&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":169069,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10527,10414,16,2,13943],"tags":[15130,11561,10448],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168959"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/99"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=168959"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168959\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":169097,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168959\/revisions\/169097"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/169069"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=168959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=168959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=168959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}