BIOGRAPHY
Phelicia Dell was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Daughter of a dressmaker and a former, over ten years, textile factory supervisor, Phelicia's artistic skills were easily recognized by her mom and acquaintances from an early age. At the age of fifteen, she was gifted her first sewing machine purchased by her mother at a thrift store in Miami where she and her family lived.
Phelicia made her first outfit for a girlfriend at the age of 16. Excited, she decided to start taking sewing lessons. She took extra credits during the summer. That was the perfect way she introduced herself to the world of fashion and developed her knowledge of design. Later, she worked as a window dresser in an exclusive gift store while simultaneously freelancing for a couturier doing small alterations. "I can remember in High School how I always wanted to paint and draw things.
PHELICIA DELL
My art classes used to be an escape, better yet, a refuge. I drew pictures, lots of them; I liked to draw them based on colors, textures and themes. I was inspired by everything that I came in contact with. My favorite place was the fabric store located five minutes from my house. The art galleries, the craft stores, the fine boutiques and fabric showrooms were, and remain my main attractions to visit, no matter where I go." Phelicia sharpened her knowledge of marketing and fashion merchandising from the sales associate positions she held at major department stores. Then, she decided to open her own boutique while pursuing a career in fashion. She later closed the boutique and went to Haiti to freelance as an interior decorator for an architect who will later become her husband and the father of their only child. Extremely gifted and bright, Phelicia gathered experience designing for a number of individuals for many years. While living in Haiti, she gained a creative global meaningful inspiration that will later become her VeVe signature style and trademark. Her designs have a legacy, artisan style, which makes her work timeless and beautiful. Exclusive and graceful characteristics are key trends in Phelicia's clothes and assortment of accessories. Haiti's music and dance, especially the sacred rhythms, and the VeVe diagrams have always been an inspiration that influenced Phelicia Dell's artistic vein and creative collections throughout her career. In 2006 she launched her VeVe Collections line with 25 beaded cocktail dresses. Phelicia Dell is one of a few Haitian born designers to own her workshop. There, is where dresses and accessories are made from prototypes. Today, a large amount of her designs are made to order for celebrities who make up her clientele list.
VeVe Collections, (or its namesake) is owned by the VeVe Collections Company. It is now mostly known for its bags and accessories division designed by Phelicia Dell; but at the same time, the couture division is expanding. All VeVe Collections products and ready-to-wear articles are produced under license agreements with Phelicia Dell.
Her style is instantly recognizable with structured elegance and accentuated details. Phelicia went from piecing together a beaded flag to creating a very identifiable and stylish piece of art. She designed a new feminine silhouette bag where shapes, curves and pockets are highlighted by the exactness of their cuts. Mingling artifacts discovered during her research days have influenced a styling mood found in many of her designs. Phelicia emphasizes the bright and colorful side of the Caribbean in her work. Phelicia's work mixes ethnic inspirations with distinctive style. Floating and innovative ideas adorn her fashion studio. The label helped popularize Haiti's handmade crafts and VeVe products as a new and ingenuously stylish, iconic look worn by the fashion elite. It was not long after being spotted by the organizations "Women in Democracy" and "Voix Essentielles", originally known as "Vital Voices" in the United States, that she was recognized by Diane Von Furstenberg as the best emerging handbag designer in 2009. Two years later, she was also honored by "Island of the World" for best Fashion and Culture Design. In 2010, the Daily Beast recognized her among 150 people that are shaking their world. One year later, Digicel awarded her as the best emerging entrepreneur of the year. She takes her art from Haiti to the finest boutiques and runways around the world like Miami, Martinique, Argentina, Guadeloupe, Bahamas, New York, Paris, Washington, Connecticut, Dominican Republic, Miami's Funkshion Week, Caribbean Fashion Week, Island of the World Fashion Week, London Fashion Week and Black Expo Design in Montreal, Canada. Today VeVe Collections represents one of the best business ventures in 2013. As the extraordinary dream already confirm the emergence of her first rays of light. Her first stars; for Phelicia presses on, creates, invents and continues to win.
