Sailors Serve with Spirit!

Fashion Forward Alumna
Foundress of Designer Line
Mount de Sales girls are encouraged
to dream big. As St. Francis de Sales
said, “Be who you are, and be that
perfectly.” Alumnae dream of traveling the
world, becoming doctors, and being wives and mothers. Most
importantly, they are trained to take action and live out their
dreams. Elizabeth Ko Elfrey ’05 is a shining example of a Sailor
who is truly pursuing her passion and life’s calling.
A young woman blessed with incredible talent at an early age,
Elizabeth immersed herself in creating all sorts of art, paintings,
drawings, sewing, just to name a few. The art foundation she
established before entering Mount de Sales as a student was
notable, and her artistic capacity only increased during her high
school years. Instead of relaxing on the weekends, she worked
overtime, loading up on private art classes in addition to her
art program at Mount de Sales. A woman of petite stature and
often limited by department store selection, she found herself
designing and creating her own dresses for Homecoming
dances and proms. Elizabeth’s classmates donned her signature
purses and playful predictions were made that she would one
day be a famous designer.
After graduating from Mount de Sales in 2005, Elizabeth
wasted no time in forming her path as she entered Drexel
University’s Fashion Design Program, where she graduated
first in her class! Elizabeth studied at the Paris American
Academy, the London College of Fashion, and even interned
for Michael Kors. Throughout her college years, she constantly
challenged herself and developed as a designer, never wasting
any time. To say that Elizabeth has professional experience is
an understatement.
After college, Elizabeth returned to the Mount de Sales
Admissions Office where she gave her talents and attention to
detail to her Alma Mater. Engaged to be married to a man in the
military, Elizabeth realized her life would soon be relocating to
an area far from the runways of Paris, London, and New York.
She also realized that being a military wife meant adapting to
life on the move. Instead of looking for a new job every time
she moved to a new place, Elizabeth decided to take matters into
her own hands, launching a career that would move with her.
The Moulage Collection was born. Thoughts of her own clothing
line and business were something that she had been analyzing
and pondering for quite a while. As Elizabeth says, “Once I
decided to do it, within two days I had filed all the legal paperwork and
jumped into everything really quickly, and I haven’t stopped working
since then!” For the launch, Elizabeth teamed up with her sister,
Emily ’07, a recent graduate of University of South Carolina who
studied Public Relations. Emily consulted with Elizabeth and helped
create the PR and marketing plan for Moulage.
Moulage is the French word for “casting or molding something.”
Naming her collection after this concept, Elizabeth conveys to her
customers the importance of a garment’s “fit.” Elizabeth's talent is
taking an existing style and tweaking it to satisfy a customer's needs.
In the rest of the clothing industry, you either have to buy something
as-is, or have it completely custom made. But the founding principal
of Moulage comes from looking at what women really want and
seeing where their apparel needs are not being met. Elizabeth and her
designs are responding to a consumer who looks at clothes and
says, "I would really like this except for..."
As a fashion designer, Elizabeth has numerous customer
expectations to consider: "You are dealing with people’s
aesthetic preferences, body image, price points, wear-ability, and
durability. Despite all these challenges, it’s incredibly rewarding.
It’s humbling when people choose to spend their hard-earned
money on something that I have designed. Fashion has a way
of transforming people – it can change your mood and inspire
confidence.” Elizabeth recognizes the way women stand taller
and walk prouder when they are wearing garments that fit well
and compliment their figure. She says, “It’s the whole concept of
‘you wearing the clothes’ versus ‘the clothes wearing you’. I say it’s
the difference between being told ‘I like your dress,’ and ‘you look
beautiful.’” It is hard to imagine a girl who isn’t grateful to hear the
words, “You look beautiful!"
This is only the beginning for Elizabeth. What motivates her is the
reminder that the Moulage Collection is an actual business, not just a
hobby. Elizabeth has taken her dreams and turned them into a career.
She carries the weight of a growing business on her two shoulders,
literally doing it all! Carving her own niche in the fashion world
and pursuing the concept of “proper fit” shows her business savvy.
Elizabeth’s global experiences demonstrate her professionalism.
Her actual garments and designs reveal Elizabeth’s true talent.
Her customers are a testament to her authenticity. It is no wonder
that she is currently talking with manufacturers
about having her popular styles produced in
larger quantities to help stock the demands from
boutiques and stores. Growth is definitely on the
horizon for Elizabeth and the Moulage Collection.
We wish our Sailor fashionista all the best!
Check out Elizabeth's collection at www.moulagecollection.com.
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Custom wedding dress for the
designer's sister, Danielle '03
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