Helena Legend

Written by Ella Audrey Rae

Helena Legend is an international DJ/Producer, and the founder and designer of her very own high-end streetwear label: HELENA LEGEND. Handcrafted in Los Angeles, Legend blends the sporty attitude of street with serious glam for a fresh take on luxury streetwear for women and men This UK born, Australian raised designer has been obsessed with street wear since she started her career as a successful DJ. Helena felt inspired to create a line of clothes she could wear while working internationally as a DJ and in her daily life. Although she first established herself as an force in the music industry, her drive to express herself through design allowed her to take her love for music and create garments that's both rock and roll and comfortable yet stylish street wear.

On November 8, 2018, she revealed her long-awaited luxe streetwear collection, during her "Legends In LA" Label Launch Party at the SENE boutique in LA. Actors Jake T. Austin, Ruby Rose and UK musician Aluna Franics form the duo AlunaGeorge are all huge fans of the brand. The launch party was great! A real mix of people from press, stylists, and influencers to my own friends and team that have worked on the label. It was really nice to get everyone together and to showcase the label and to see how far it's come in a short time. It was a proud moment seeing all the collections displayed around the store. SO much blood, sweat, and tears have gone into my launching my own label so to be able to have a party to show what I have been up to was really special for me.

Where did the idea for this collection come from? I have always loved bold colors and neons I found some fabrics I loved and thought they would be perfect for a design I have had in my mind for a long time. I wanted to create some high waisted pants that looked like you have a jacket around your waist (as I am always doing this with my outfits but it seems crazy to buy a jacket just to tie it around your waist) this is where the idea for the long belt came from. I also wanted the pants to be very flattering, baggy and the kind that you can hide your tummy if you go for pizza before you go out. The pockets are also the perfect size for an i phone 7 Plus, these are the things I was thinking about during the design. Pants that are super comfy and flattering yet practical for boss ladies on a night out. The neon swim pieces have been made to wear more like pieces to match back to the pants, especially suited for festivals and the likes, but you can also swim in them of course. Why did you go with the color scheme of this collection? The tie Pants come in red, black and orange, these are some of my favorite colors and the neon swim pieces I was just drawn to the vibrancy of the neons I choose, they are also very flattering with a tan, which is perfect for swim and bodysuits. The collection is all manufactured in LA. "People have said to me many times, why not China it's so much cheaper to produce in China (which is true) but I like to be very involved in everything to do with the production process and fit is very important to me as a designer. Making my clothes in LA, my turnaround time is so much faster, I can keep an eye on quality control and I can change things very quickly on samples and fit, posting things back and forth to China is too slow for me, I work closely with my pattern maker in LA and my production house to try to get the process as seamless as possible. Don't get me wrong i have still encountered my share of problems which is typical for a new label, but I feel more equipped to deal with them here as opposed to trying to send back a shipment to China."

Why choose streetwear for your collection? My collections are an extension of my brand and my style, my style has always been streetwear, but as a female music artist also, I have struggled to find streetwear brands that are also dressy enough to wear out at night or to my DJ performances, this was the inspiration to me creating my label. Street meets chic is what I am trying to aim for. Streetwear that makes a statement and makes you feel confident, cool and unique. That you also look like you have made an effort rather than looking too casual. How do the streets of LA inspire your style? "I am constantly traveling the world so my style has been inspired by many different cultures and countries, LA though with the weather being so amazing every day, it gives good vibes and there are a lot of trendsetters living here, which is visually inspiring. The streetwear scene here is strong and I love taking a walk down Fairfax and LA brea and checking out some of the LA street style."

What can we expect in 2019? I have plans to focus on wholesale and getting the brand into actual retail stores, so far everything has been online through my own website, which is fine, but so many people still like to actually feel and try clothes on (including myself!) especially when it's a higher price point, you need to be able to feel the quality especially with new labels, so I will be working on this and trying to find the right retail partners for my brand. Also, I will be working obviously on more collections, I am very keen to expand my men's selections and sizing. There is so much growth still to come and I am learning myself along the way, so it keeps things creatively interesting always!