Adam&Eve – January, 2015

During the first visit in Dubai, the Fashion Designer was interviewed by Ylova Hamdan for the arab magazine Adam&Eve. Read the interview:

Ten Minutes with Elisabetta Franchi. The Designer of perfect “Made in Italy” Pret-a-Porter.

She is a woman who can stir emotions and be touched by them. She is a woman that has rocked the female universe with her style and creativity; her success rests on her unlimited passion, painstaking care for product design, sheer devotion to her job and a good share of pragmatic sense. The story began in Bologna, the city where Elisabetta was bon in 1968, the third of five children of a humble family lead by mother: who struggled very hard to raise her children on her owns: years later Elisabetta remembered how the lack of father and the family hardship, mixed with her passion and determination to turn her life around brought her to following her dream with great obstinacy, without giving up before the struggles of life. She made her debut in fashion during her studies at Bologna’s Instituto Aldrovandi Rubbiani. Meanvvhile, she made a living doing several temporary jobs.

From a professional standpoint, Elisabetta Franchi learnt her trade moving from one boutique to another, until she opened her first workshop, Le Complici, in 1996. There, she began to give shape to her ideas and fashion her first creations, following her instinct and with only 5 people to help her. Now they are over 150.

This is where she put the craft – which she had learnt to master in her boutique years —to good use: she studied people, kept an eye out on street trends and focused her creativity on the product. Thanks to the outstanding skill to personalise and customise products, the workshop began to grow: in 1998 she founded Betty Blue S.p.a to fashion the CELYN collection, a name that resonates with the unmistakable Paris style and where the letter b stands for “Betta”, short for the designer’s name. The style is quite clear and stands out for its extremely feminine urbani chic mood, with curvy fit: and impeccable silhouettes. These two features are the brand’s strong suit till today. She is the creator of a perfect Made in Italy prét a porter that owes its success to her style and the particular production strategy based on duality, excellence and care for detail. In little over a decade, the dream of a creative person with a strong pragmatic sense turned into the latest fashion sensation.

We caught up with the designer during her first ever visit to Dubai. She spoke to us about style and what’s to come.

What were the first steps you took in the world fashion?
I actually started by dressing my dolls. After the dolls, I dedicated a small space to making clothes, where would focus on tailor-made items.

How would you describe your brand?
Ultra feminine and very sensual.

How has your work evolved since you started your label?
There weren’t many changes. I can tell you that I started small and became bigger. All the steps  I took were big ones that were quite important for the brand.

What does style mean to you?
Everything that is elegant and never vulgar!

Who are some of the other designers you admire?
There’s only one! Dolce & Gabbana! They are so femmine and I see myself a lot in their designs.

Tell us about your SS 15 collection — what is the general theme?
The SS15 woman is a beautiful princess of modern times. Her style is daring and touched by devo art.

This is your first time in Dubai. What do you think of the city as a fashion destination?

This place has so many different cultures. I think that is very important for a fashion destination. I love it.

Tell us more about the brand and the Middle East. How significant is this part of the world to the brand.

In percentage, it’s only 10% percent. However, from a marketing point of view, it is very important because I can see my customers here. People over here love the brand. We are definiteiy evolving here.

If you could have one celebrity spokesmodel, who would it be?

I do not like to associate my brand with a celebrity. Every woman that wears my clothes should’t have to be celebrities. They should see themselves within the brand. However, if I had to chose, I would say Megan Fox. She is so feminine and such an amazing woman in every aspect. I am also really fond of Amal Alamuddin. She is charming, chic and glamorous!

Best advice you would give to women on style and fashion?

Never be vulgar and show too much. It is possible to be chic and very sexy without being vulgar!

Your advice to young fashion designers starting their label?

Always be current while remaining true to your style.

Which is your favourite city in terms of style?

My city, of course; Bologna.

What’s in the pipeline for you and the brand?

I’ve been asked many a times to launch a children’s line. I am really considering it and it might very well be the next step for me. I also like interior design therefore I would love to do forniture and home accessories too. The brand is growing so much in every country. Here in the Middie East, we have many plans within the next year to be more present.