We had the good fortune of connecting with Diamond Elaina and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Diamond, can you tell us about the creative project you’re currently working on?
Right now I am working on recreating Rihanna’s iconic CFDA dress. When I saw this in 2014 I was completely jaw dropped. I thought not only did she look beautiful but the how raced through my mind. Like, how is this even possible to make a dress so sparkly and to make it seem as if it’s dripping off her body. It was an impactful moment. 11 years later, I’m 24 and obsessed with fashion, crafting, sewing and more. I thought to myself, I wanna make this dress…my friends thought I was crazy because tbh it looks very difficult but I just knew in my heart I had to and I knew it would be a challenge. I just really wanted to make it, show my support for the iconic moment, just shock everyone.

Here’s a strong emphasis on construction and material in this project.
What drew you to working so closely with the physical process?
I think what drew me to making this was the challenge itself. I wanted to make something different. Not the boring patterns you see sometimes but recreating a couture dress that shifted a culture. I knew the challenge was what was going to make me creating this truly special. I did a lot of research with looking at what materials to use, such as the correct fishnet and dyes. I needed to use a nylon dye with low spandex and an acid dye color to get my skin-tone. I bought so many samples of fishnet and it wasn’t right until I looked at some stockings I had from Halloween and was like this is it. The Diamond shapes were the exact size I wanted that aligned with Rih’s and that wouldn’t be too big or too small. The acid dye I used was just a small tiniest tiny drop of chestnut shade… I dyed the fabric using different mixes until it matched my skin then cut open the fabric, sewed it together, then began applying tiny SS6 rhinestones. I didn’t want them too big I think the small crystals help it blend well.

A lot of the work happens behind the scenes and outside of finished
visuals. What does a typical working session look like for you?
When I’m sewing I tend to either blast Caribbean music mixes when I’m in a good mood or I will just play my favorite show. When Rhinestoning the dress I watched 2 seasons of Ugly Betty just to keep me going. Sometimes I don’t stop and end up not feeling the best but I always push through and take a hot bathe after to cool down.

After spending so much time with this project, what do you feel it
represents for you personally?
It really links me back to my younger, childlike, creative self. When I was 5-13 I was just a daydream, someone who had the confidence to create and do whatever I inspired to do. As I got older I feel this was overshadowed by “real life” such as working, bills, reality, self doubt, and such. But doing this allowed me to feel free and happy and take a risk to put myself in that star mode Rihanna experienced in 2014.

How does this project connect to the larger body of work you’re building
right now?
Well in the end I want to inspire people to be creative and to do crazy outlandish things that fashion designers and entertainers do. Knowing you can create your own star moment instead of awaiting for it to come to you. I want this to show people like “oh she’s really that girl”. It als just helps with my confidence in the things that I’m doing such as acting, dance, and entrepreneurship. This is litterally just a small push in the turn wheel for what I wanna do. I want to have those iconic fashion moments, work closely with designers and stylists, create my own brand or become a creative partner, and much more and this is just another push towards that dream even if no one sees it yet.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/diamondelainaaa

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@diamondelaina513

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@diamondelainaaaa

Email: diamondcreates513@gmail.com

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