Member Article

23-year-old fashion entrepreneur to create 25 jobs

A 23-year-old fashion entrepreneur who studied at the University of Sunderland will create 25 new jobs over the next 12 months, she says.

Cairo-born Rita Roushdy will double the size of her workforce at Newcastle-based Elévon, which currently employs 25 people.

The firm hosts sell out events throughout the region - including a recent 400 capacity star studded event the Civic Centre in Newcastle.

Rita said: “I feel that the fashion culture is constantly growing within the North East.

“There are more and more new designers graduating from Northern based universities and the talent here has great potential. I just feel the need to show the whole world what those people are capable of achieving.

“Although Elévon is North East based, designers from all around the world are welcome to apply to showcase. The more new designers people know about, the more options they have to buy amazing clothes in department stores and on the high street. Individualism and innovation is key concept in Elévon World.”

Elévon, a name inspired by aerodynamics, started out life as a marketing tool for Rita’s own clothing label ‘Rita Roushdy’, where she organised fashion shows to promote her own collection twice a year.

The talented businesswoman delved deeper, and as the attendances for her shows began to grow, she became aware of the struggles emerging designers have in attracting attention and interest in their work and set up Elévon as a tool for like minded and talented designers to have a genuine platform for them to be noticed.

The company employs people across professional backstage, front of house and office team roles, and has a string of high profile shows already booked and will in the next 12 months.

Rita added: “Elévon is a platform for emerging designers to showcase their latest collection in front of hundreds of audience, journalists, bloggers, radio and TV press.

“Fashion driven people attend Elévon to learn about the upcoming trends, who is entering the industry and what their brand identity is.

“We want to expand, both nationally and internationally, and our ambition is to showcase our designers’ collections on the stages of the world’s great cities, each season, to maximise the partakers’ benefit of publicity and brand awareness.

“Elévon provides the perfect opportunity to expand a designers’ clothing brand. We are planning on organising lingerie only shows next and rest assured I have enough ideas and plans to expand this company to a whole new level very quickly.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .