SVELTE: Background & History
About SVELTE
SVELTE, LLC is a creative consulting and communication firm that specializes in production, brand strategy, and media for fashion and lifestyle brands.
In 2007, Washingtonian native Elaine Mensah founded SVELTE under the premise that Washington DC not only had the resources to potentially become a major fashion capital, but that it had the right talent, perspective, and most importantly consumer, to make the nation's capital more than just a political town. The city and consumers alike craved the attention, buying power, and respect of the fashion & lifestyle industry and as such, needed a firm that understood the dynamics, was creative in their offerings and solutions, AND had the talent & expertise to fulfill client needs.
SVELTE is unlike the traditional public relations firm, particularly in Washington DC. We understand that in today's marketing and consumer world, clients have needs that stretch beyond the traditional boundaries and therefore need solutions that can cater to their divergent needs. With our expertise in PR, large scale fashion show production, new media & broadcasting, advertising & branding, as well as our local, national & international relationships, SVELTE is THE firm for fashion and lifestyle branding.
ABOUT SVELTE FOUnDER, ELAINE MENSAH
Elaine Mensah is a leading contributor to the fashion industry in Washington, DC. She has a catalogue of experience working for numerous fashion insiders and corporate institutions including New York design houses Cynthia Rowley and Thuy; The Fashion Group International, Deloitte Consulting, LLC, BearingPoint, Unisys; and stints at the National Geographic Society, NBC Dateline, and the World Bank. These experiences, coupled with her ardor for fashion birthed SVELTE.
As Creator and Host of online fashion radio show Fashion BS, Elaine has interviewed some of the biggest names in fashion including Jason Wu, Lela Rose, Fern Mallis, Nigel Barker, Phillip Bloch, Ted Gibson just to name a few. She also produces and hosts online fashion channel SVELTE Tv, which has covered Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Oscar de la Renta and numerous insider profiles.
From 2007-2010, Elaine served as the Fashion Director & Vice-President of Production for Fashion Fights Poverty, which under her production, has been named Washington's Top Fashion & Beauty Events by Biz Bash Magazine two years in a row (2008 & 2009). Elaine has styled tv personalities including Jack Mackenroth of Project Runway Season 4 and The Bachelor’s Andrew Baldwin as well as various campaigns for designer lookbooks, print editorials including Washington Life Magazine's 2009 Holiday Issue, and in-store events for Macy's Inc.
She has also been featured in publications including Washington Post's Fashion Washington, Washington Life Magazine, Washington City Paper, Washington Times, Capitol File Magazine, and Roll Call. Elaine has also appeared as a fashion expert on WUSA9 News where she discussed ethical/eco fashion, on WJLA Tv affiliate "Let's Talk Live" and WPGC 95.5FM, served as moderator for Columbia University's African Economic Forum, and was one of the four expert panelists on local DC area television program “As We See It.”
Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, Elaine’s eclectic background and education reflects in her work. She credits the DC fashion community for spearheading her career and as such seizes every opportunity to give back. Her tenure with Fashion Fights Poverty was 100% volunteer and she has valued her ability to possibly inspire and motivate kids in various local DC programs including the Greater Washington Fashion Chamber of Commerce’s summer fashion program for SINGA, the Boys & Girls Club of DC, and students at Woodrow Wilson High School & West Potomac Academy of Fashion Design. Currently, Elaine is serving as the Marketing & Publicity Co-chair for The Fashion Group International of Greater Washington, DC.
She has a Law and Society degree from American University and a Masters in Communication, Culture and Technology from Georgetown University.
