Summer music with Radmila Lolly
Worldwide press took notice of her recent achievements and Radmila has been featured in several magazine covers around the globe.
Radmila released her last album “Wonderland” in a night of opera and couture at the famous Carnegie Hall. She uniquely combined her talents as a singer and a designer, performing the entire album with a live string orchestra while models displayed her corresponding couture collection.
The largest influence on Radmila’s couture designs are her musical exploits. For Lolly, her two artistic mediums inspire and feed off each other; the textures of her designs are innately linked to the textures of her music.
Her fashion collection has been featured at Barneys Madison Avenue Trunk Show, alongside designers such as Zac Posen, Naeem Khan, J. Mendel, as well as at the Daytime Emmy’s Ceremony, and many more. It has also been featured in the magazines Vogue Italia, and Harper’s Baazar, among others. Lolly and Eltara Casata have a huge number of requests from celebrities to wear her gowns for award ceremonies or red carpet events. We have seen a number of artists wearing Radmila Lolly’s dresses, such as Gayle King, Bebe Rexha, Mya, Miss Universe 2018, Miss USA 2018, and Miss USA 2017, to name a few.
Radmila not only sings and designs; her creative mind never stops, and she has upcoming ventures that include a novel that corresponds to her next self-composed album and high couture collection. With the mindset of always going farther and improving, Lolly is learning as many instruments as possible; she is currently taking weekly lessons on the piano, violin, saxophone, and guitar.
You have also heard her music as the soundtrack for the movie “Honor Up” directed by Damon Dash and with executive producer Kanye West; Works with Mar Vista Studios. Radmila Lolly will be working on more soundtracks this year. Her next album is the soundtrack to her upcoming novel and audiobook.
Her gala concerts are usually attended by very respected musical artists such as Grammy-winner, Maxwell.
How did Eltara Casata begin? Is there a story behind the name?
My couture line was previously titled my name, before I renamed it Eltara Casata. I decided to make the change because I wanted the brand to have its own voice and identity. There is a story behind the name; Elatara represents EL- Elizaveta, TA-Tatiana, RA-Radmila, which are the names of my grandmother, my mother, and I. My grandmother Elizaveta was a seamstress, and she passed her knowledge down to my mother, who in turn showed me how to sew. My mother is also an artist, so I learned how to make my design sketches by observing her. My family heritage is what introduced me to fashion and art, and I believe it is important to continue the legacy.
How would you describe your musical style and your fashion style? Any personal favorite songs/designs?
My songs and designs are like my children; they all have a different meaning to me but are all equally loved. My style in both fashion and music consists of Old Hollywood allure with a modern twist to it.
What celebrity would you like seeing wearing your clothes?
The type of person I envision wearing my clothing is somebody who is a leader, who is bold, and who appreciates fashion as an art form. I love dressing artists of all kinds, including musicians, visual artists, and actors. I am especially interested in costume design for movies, and would love to do more work with that.
How do you stay creative during this time?
I think that music and fashion are both still the same for me creatively; you are always telling a story through your art. My life is always about being creative, so it is still the same. Recently, I have been running a creative project on my Instagram (@radmilalolly) where I ask people to submit songs/pieces of music they would like me to turn into fashion, and I create a sketch for a couture gown or outfit based around the song. Then I post it and tag the person who submitted the song suggestions.
Any advice for young musicians looking to enter the music industry?
My main advice is having all agreements in writing, because working relationships can change, and if you don’t have your work in writing, you can’t protect yourself. That can interfere with your career, and you’ll be working less on your art and worrying more about the issues you’re trying to sort out.
You are writing a novel. What is it about?
The biggest takeaway from my book is that what happens to us as children can affect us for the rest of our lives. We can be scarred on the outside, but we can also be scarred on the inside. The novel is based upon the lives of four main characters with very different backgrounds; all of their storylines eventually intertwine and converge by the end of the book. The book shows how seemingly small and insignificant actions can change the course of your life.
What fashion advice would you give to women?
I would like to tell women to not be afraid to be unique and express themselves through their clothing. Clothing is like a language, it gives you an opportunity to connect with people who find what you’re wearing is interesting, or have similar style and interests to you. At the end of the day, people will always be judging us no matter what we do or wear, so you should wear something that shows who you are truthfully. If I had only $100, and walked into Forever 21, I wouldn’t just buy basic items to mix and match; I would buy items that catch my eye and are unique, that show who I am as a person.
MODEL: RADMILA LOLLY
PHOTO: EUGENE MANNING
MAKE UP ARTIST: MONET HOWARD
HAIR STYLIST: SUZANNE FUSTER