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

Hi Elisheva, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
In my life I have found that my best methods of effectively communicating myself were not the usual methods, Fashion and Art have always given me my voice when I could not find the words to speak! Fashion & Art were my first coping mechanisms as a child. I originally used fashion as a shield to deflect from the way that people made me feel uncomfortable with being Black, Jewish, and Orthodox. The rude, intrusive interactions, inappropriate remarks & things of that nature really bothered me growing up. So I wanted people to focus more so on my style instead of on my skin tone. Eventually, I grew to love both mediums and stopped using Fashion as a shield and embraced it as a form of self-expression.

Those negative experiences I had oftentimes filled me up with so much negative energy. But, energy is energy, it can be used for the good or the bad. So I transformed all that negative energy into something positive by pursuing a career in the Creative field. I came to realize that Fashion and Art were the perfect vehicles to transform all this energy into something beautiful and productive. Responding to ugliness and hate with beauty and love is just what being Creative means to me!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What sets my apparel brand apart from others are my diverse collections and my consistent use of original art & meaningful sayings to guide you on your path to embracing your identity positively. I actively employ color theory in all my artwork to invoke certain emotions because I want to only create art that has an important impact.

My brand Eli7 Designs specializes in creating apparel & content of empowerment, joy, and education. When you acquire something from my brand and when you come to my social media platforms, you will always receive a thought-provoking & well-rounded experience.

What sets me apart as a content creator is my use of education to build bridges between the Black & Jewish communities, my content that prioritizes joy over the trauma & my vulnerability on very sensitive issues. I feel like people can feel my energy & they understand that I don’t want to fight or trauma dump, I want to create & maintain meaningful dialogues between all types of people & communities. At the end of the day, all people are connected and the world is a kinder place if we uplift & love each other.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When it comes to Los Angeles, Santa Monica Beach and West Hollywood are the most exciting and eclectic communities to visit! From the beautiful beaches, and the diverse crowds to the fashion scene, I love these areas so much!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Most people don’t know this, but some of the content I make and the apparel I have made are inspired by the amazing people I have met in my life, one of them being my friend Jessica. For example, my “Hashem Loves You Hoodie” is based on a saying within my Jewish community that Jessica would always say to me when things were going good and things were going bad for me in life. Hashem is another word for G-d in Judaism. Those words are etched onto my soul and spill out when I cry tears of joy and despair.

That hoodie has a deep impact on so many people who have gotten it and it has an immediate ” Pay it Forward” energy. People smile when they see it and people smile when they wear it. So many people in my life doubted me or mistreated me, but few people, like Jessica, from my small collection of close friends have always believed in me! I know without her love and support, I would have never made it this far in my life. I know I would not exist if it were not for people like her!

Website: www.Eli7Designs.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealeli7designs/?hl=en

Other: https://linktr.ee/ElishevaEli7Designs

Image Credits
Photos 2,3, 4, 5 are photographed by Sarah Schecker

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.