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When most people walk around, they only see what’s around them — a sidewalk, a building, unfamiliar faces and random objects. Ella Delucia sees future designs and reinventions.

“Not every piece of clothing that you own needs to be exactly the way you like it,” Deluica said. “You can take things and change them and express yourself through your clothing in fun, simple, DIY ways.”

Last summer, Delucia, a Syracuse University junior studying fashion design, prepared the launch of her brand, Raven Skull. She picked the name because she thought the two elements paired well together. Getting started on the designs over the summer helped narrow her focus on clothes without the additional stress from schoolwork.

Sustainability and low cost are priorities for Raven Skull, Delucia said. She thrifts and upcycles the pieces she sells at Dazed, the house show venue she runs with her roommates.

Delucia said the current fashion climate is based around trendy clothing and popular brands, but Raven Skull’s sustainable approach will combat that. Its upcycled approach reduces waste and adds to preexisting pieces.

Delucia uses many different mediums to alter the items she thrifts. She makes the clothing new through sewing, painting, embroidering and printing. For prints, she uses wood and rubber cuts for different designs.

“It falls back on your creativity and the way you can picture things together, like taking a piece of scrap and seeing it with a shirt and being like, ‘Oh, I can turn this into a fun design,’” Delucia said.

Leonardo Eriman | Asst. Video Editor

Ella Delucia spent last summer preparing to launch her clothing brand, Raven Skull. Now, she sells her upcycled clothing at Dazed, where she’s exposed her pieces to a like-minded audience.

Spencer Shaw, owner of Rat Girl Vintage in downtown Syracuse, met Delucia at Dazed. The two are now close friends who have worked on projects together in SU’s Fashion and Design Society.

With a styling team of about 25 people, Delucia and Shaw completed three photoshoots together last semester. They sourced outfits from their respective existing collections. Going back and forth, pulling things that might go together, Shaw said there was trial and error in the process until they achieved the desired result.

Shaw and Delucia’s styles overlap with vintage Y2K aesthetics and gothic clothes. While Shaw opts for a brighter style, Delucia sticks to darker clothing.

“When you’re designing clothes you are taking inspiration from something that already exists, whether that’s 300 years ago or 10,” Shaw said. “It’s always pulling from something else and then making that silhouette your own.”

Ever since she received a sewing machine for Christmas 12 years ago, Delucia’s been honing her craft. She started out with simple designs and minimal sewing knowledge. Now, she takes a more maximalist approach that showcases her personality and skill.

Presenting her pieces at Dazed is the first time she’s exposed Raven Skull to an audience. Delucia said the shows motivate her to put up her clothing rack and keep up with her designs even as a busy college student.

“I find myself rushing to do things all the time but it really helps to be passionate about the things you’re rushing to do,” Delucia said. “I love fashion, so I don’t struggle to make the time for it because I enjoy doing it.”

Support from her roommate, Kieran Romano, also a junior fashion design student, has helped Deluica find her footing in this process. Romano and Delucia shop for fabrics together and bounce ideas off each other. They share a sewing studio space in their apartment with materials and tools.

“We push each other to do things that are out of our comfort zones a little bit which I think helps the creative process with whatever we are doing a lot,” Romano said.

Now studying abroad in London, Delucia is taking a class on how to start a fashion brand, which is exposing her to the business aspects of fashion. She’s also considering expanding her business to social media to give Raven Skull an online presence.

Dazed is the source of Delucia’s current audience. She finds like-minded people who enjoy the music and bonds with them over the clothing. She’s made friends from selling her clothes at the venue, some of whom are also pursuing fashion design.

Ultimately, Delucia hopes that customers of Raven Skull will be inspired to find their own personal style.

“There’s nothing better than getting a one of a kind piece of clothing,” Delucia said. “It’s a great way to express yourself.”

Published on January 14, 2025 at 10:55 pm