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Alumna Elena Bonvicini's Path to Founding EB Denim
Alumna Elena Bonvicini's Path to Founding EB Denim
By Darcy Chung '20
Recently, I started working at EB Denim, an upcycled vintage streetwear brand with a pop-up store at South Coast Plaza. The founder, Elena Bonvicini, who is an alumna of Sage Hill (Class of 2017) and a current Public Relations Major at USC, started her brand with a passion for fashion and thrifting. Two years later, she has multiple retailers from New York City to Newport Beach carrying her products and dozens of engaged influencers and celebrities.
Recently, I started working at EB Denim, an upcycled vintage streetwear brand with a pop-up store at South Coast Plaza. The founder, Elena Bonvicini, who is an alumna of Sage Hill (Class of 2017) and a current Public Relations Major at USC, started her brand with a passion for fashion and thrifting. Two years later, she has multiple retailers from New York City to Newport Beach carrying her products and dozens of engaged influencers and celebrities.
On Wednesday, December 4, 2019, I had the pleasure to sit down and chat with Elena about her start in the business world and her love for fashion.
Q: What is EB Denim? Can you explain a little bit about the business?
A: EB Denim is a brand that upcycles vintage Levis 501s. Recently, we started to incorporate vintage T-shirts and sweatshirts. The brand was started two years ago by me, and now I’ve grown it to be mainly marketed through Instagram. We sell mostly through our online market, but we are sold in several stores across the US. And now, we have this pop-up shop at South Coast Plaza.
Q: What inspired you to start EB Denim?
A: Actually, at Sage Hill, I was a junior and I loved going thrift shopping–so I would go thrift shopping and make myself these cut-off shorts. I was making a ton and my friends wanted them and then people at school started asking to buy them. Eventually, it grew into this little business and before I knew it, I was having these locker room sales. I would scatter shorts all over the floor and girls from all different grades would come and buy them for 10 dollars a pair. Then, I learned how to sew with my mom and I started reconstructing the pants when shorts were out of season. I came up with the OGs, which we still sell in store today, and did some PR, and soon enough, it became a brand.
Read more at Flare Magazine >>
Photos: Elena showcasing all the vintage jeans in stock waiting to be reconstructed (left) and the inside of the Costa Mesa pop-up shop located in South Coast’s Carousel Court at 3333 Bristol St, #1870 (Courtesy of Elena Bonvicini)
Editor's Note: Darcy Chung is one of the two co-founders of Flare Magazine at Sage Hill School.
Read more at Flare Magazine >>
Photos: Elena showcasing all the vintage jeans in stock waiting to be reconstructed (left) and the inside of the Costa Mesa pop-up shop located in South Coast’s Carousel Court at 3333 Bristol St, #1870 (Courtesy of Elena Bonvicini)
Editor's Note: Darcy Chung is one of the two co-founders of Flare Magazine at Sage Hill School.
Sage Hill School
A college preparatory independent day school for grades 7-12.
20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657
Phone: 949.219.0100 | Fax: 949.219.1399
20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657
Phone: 949.219.0100 | Fax: 949.219.1399
Sage Hill School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs, and athletic and other School administered programs.