Emily Savill Photography
I was introduced to Ellora Arboria, known to most as Ellie, through a mutual friend of ours, Courtney Ducey (of Ducey’s Dog Walking), in November of 2016. I remember Courtney telling me multiple times “You really need to meet my friend Ellie, she’s super weird and you two would love each other.” By golly, Courtney was right! When we met with a larger group of friends at the Lyndon Diner, to commiserate with each other after the 2016 election, we clicked almost instantly. Apparently we both left that experience wondering “How do I be friends with this person?” and we’ve been basically inseparable ever since. We also learned that our paths had crossed as teenagers when Ellie visited my fiance and I’s high school, Upattinas, for a week, and although neither of us have a great memory of it, we definitely had met then. I’m so glad that fate brought us together again; she is one of the most interesting people I know and a wonderful friend.
For some background, Ellora is a local kitchen witch, soup wizard, fashionista, doll collector, and an overall amazingly interesting person. She is known for being extra at all times, dressing ever so fashionably (even at work), and for making amazing soups for Chestnut Hill Cafe. She has a unique style and loves to create themed outfits and make-up; the whole week before Halloween she did a different spooky look, and I swear that almost all of October she had a pair of fangs adorning her mouth. Ellie is by far my favorite local fashion icon. I have very little self-esteem and it can be really hard for me to put in the effort to look cute, even though I really enjoy doing so, because oftentimes I feel like no amount of primping can fix what I've got. However, the excitement and passion that Ellie has for self-expression and the positivity that she radiates makes me feel so much more comfortable with myself and gets me excited to dress up again. I hope she can inspire others to do the same.
Weird in Lancaster: How long have you lived in Lancaster and are you originally from Lancaster?
Ellie Carman: I'm not originally from Lancaster, I was born in Leesburg, Virginia. I'll have been here 4 years in June.
WL: What’s your favourite weird place in Lancaster?
E: Your couch. The most comfortable I feel outside of, like, my bed is at your house.
WL: What’s your favourite restaurant in Lancaster?
E: Sprout, The Fridge, La Cocina.
WL: Where do you feel most comfortable being yourself?
E: At work or at home, at Chestnut Hill Cafe they are cool with me being myself and even encourage it so I like being there.
WL: How has Lancaster changed since you’ve been here?
E: Shit's expensive. Rent is hella expensive. Things have skyrocketed, But a lot of cool places have opened and (creative and alternative) people seem more involved with each other. It seems more tight knit.
WL: When did you know you were weird?
E: It took me kind of a long time to figure it out. I was like 13 and I found out because someone told me. My friends parents told her she had to hang out with me less because every time she came home she looked weirder. I was homeschooled.
WL: How do you express your creativity?
E: In the shit that I wear. I always match my eyeshadow to at least one thing I'm wearing and that makes me feel like I have my shit together.
WL: How long have you been experimenting with fashion?
E: Forever. We grew up all over the place, and I was around a lot of interesting adults. Circus troupes, artists, hippies. When I was a teenager and I realized I could wear whatever I want I did that. I always wanted to be a fashion designer or costume designer. I had a book where I would sketch outfits I wanted to make and wear. I loved old school Japanese fashion, especially visual kei and j-rock styles.
WL: What inspires you?
E: My friends. We have a group chat where everyone shares their art, photos, businesses, pets, and family, and it's just full of positivity and creativity. My friend Mindy started it and I owe her everything in the whole wide world for that and also because she is just an amazing human being.
WL: Who or what is most influential to your style?
E: Mid 70's Nico, Genesis P-Orridge, Cherry from Studio Killers, Brad Pitt in Interview with the Vampire, and a wizard airbrushed on the side of a van.
WL: How would you describe your style?
E: If satan had a secretary.
WL: Do you balance fashion and comfort?
E: Yeah for sure. Sometimes I'll wear a skirt that's a little itchy because it's cute, but even if I'm wearing my fanciest blouse I'll wear my comfiest boots.
WL: Would you like to see the fashion scene change in Lancaster?
E: I wanna see more variety. We have people who just wear clothes and as far as alternative goes we have crust punks and hippie kids. I just wanna see people dress their outsides the same as their insides.
WL: What is your sewing process like?
E: Generally I will sew things by hand because I do not feel like threading a bobbin. I don't make a pattern; it's usually sloppy and uneven but I'm still proud of it when it's done.
WL: Do you plan outfits in advance or do you throw things together?
E: Both. Sometimes if I can't sleep I'll lay in bed and think of the clothes I have and plan them for tomorrow or plan my make up and pick clothes around that. I think about if buns or braids will look better with that mini skirt.
WL: When and how did you learn how to do make-up?
E: Youtube. It took me a long time. I only started doing it around 19, before then I never wore make-up. Every time I would attempt prior I looked like Mimi from The Drew Carey Show. Then I started trying to do eyeliner but i would curl the ends. Honestly with eyeshadow and everything else what helped most was slapping colors on my face.
WL: Do you have a favourite fashion designers or influencers?
E: Oh boy. The list is really long so I'm gonna just quick pick a handful. Penelope Gazin, Angela Clayton, Eiko Ishioka
WL: Are you ever afraid to express yourself? If so, how do you find confidence?
E: Yeah, of course. A lot of the times if I don't even wanna like match or something, then I'll sit at my make-up table and slap as many colors on my face as possible and then I feel better.
WL: How do you think being in a big family affected your style or personality?
E: I don't know if it influenced style. I have a sense of responsibility and it made me realize I do not want kids. Having a big family is why I started cooking in the first place. It's probably why I starting exploring my individuality actually since I was one of 7 kids.
WL: What did 7 year old you want to be when they grew up?
E: A mortician. I was watching the surgery channel, I don't know what it was, but I fucking loved it. And i was like “Oh, I wanna be a surgeon!” and my mom said “That's really hard, but you can do it.” but the I thought about it and I was scared I'd hurt someone, and she said “You can't hurt a dead person.” so that clicked with me.
WL: What was your first job?
E: Movie theater in downtown Philly. It was the worst. I watched one of my coworkers get fired because they ate a hot dog.
WL: What do you like about cooking?
E: Eating. I will inevitability sit there and watch everyone eat because I've eaten a whole meal while cooking. I also like watching people eat, when they go “Yo, this is great!”
WL: How long have you been a soup wizard?
E: Not that long. Soup has always been one of my favorite things to make, but my soup wizardry started at Chestnut Hill Cafe. Where I worked before I was using someone else's recipes so there wasn't much creativity, but at Chestnut Hill Cafe I get to make the recipes and now I am drunk on soup power.
WL: What is your dream job/are you working it?
E: My dream job honestly would be designing murder sets for Brian Fuller on season 4 of Hannibal.
WL: Do you listen to music while making art?
E: Oh yeah. I listen to music constantly and forever.
WL: Do you have any favourite local artists?
E: Annajane Dauphine, Emily Savill, Yves Jones, Shadai Santiago.
WL: Have people been unkind to you about your weirdness? If so how did you handle it and what did you learn from it?
E: Yeah, that's how I found out I was weird (with my friends parents telling me I was too weird for her.) For the most part people are just like “That's the way she is.” When I was younger my grandparents were like “Those pants are atrocious; why are there so many chains?” Now i feel like people are like “Eh, at least she's not full pussy out.”
WL: What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever done?
E: One year for 420 I dressed up as a green fairy, made a fort under the dining room table and hot boxed it. We ordered pizza and were under there for a full 24 hours. I don't do things like that anymore. I guess that's not all that weird.
WL: What would you like to be remembered for?
E: Just for being good to people. Having a good time and loving my friends. I don't wanna be remembered for doing stuff, I just want to live.
WL: What is the weirdest (positive) thing from your childhood?
E: When my family and I were going from place to place in rainbow gatherings and we were walking under a bridge, it was raining a lot and really muddy and I got stuck in the mud when my mom plucked me out of the mud my favourite rain boots got stuck, but then she carried me on her shoulders the rest of the day. That was really nice.
WL: What motivates you?
E: My friends and my dog. My dog forces me to get up in the morning and if i'm feeling lazy someone in the group chat is usually asking if someone wants to meet up for food or needs a partner for an errand.
WL: What is your favourite thing about yourself?
E: Nobody gets to tell me what to do.
WL: What does weird mean to you?
E: Good. Anytime anyone's been like “That's weird” it's always about something I enjoy, so it couldn't be bad.
WL: Who would you nominate for a Weird in Lancaster shoot?
E: Courtney Ducey or Yves Jones.
WL: What communities are you active in or would you like to be active in?
E: I'm not really active in any communities unless you count Chestnut Hill Cafe kids. I'm not a party person so social stuff is a little harder. I like the people that are involved in art like at Station One and The Kaleidoscope so I would like to immerse myself more with the creative crowd. And get into the knitting club at the library.
WL: What does your doll collection mean to you?
E: I always had a lot of dolls; Barbies, American Girl, Bratz etc. I loved their tiny clothes and little hats and at some point my grandmother gave me a porcelain clown doll and I was obsessed with it and that's what sparked my love of clowns. I kept collecting them in defiance of people saying clowns and dolls are ugly or scary or whatever.
W: What is your favourite cryptdid?
E: A Wendigo or a Squonk.
WL: How did you gain confidence?
E: Realizing I could just do what I want. Developing friendships with people who like themselves, which happened in Lancaster. I was around a lot of people before who wallowed in self pity and were very negative, and didn't build each other up. So real friendships made me realize this is great I wanna do that. My Aunt Betty told me when I was a kid “Always be friends with people that are better than you, they'll teach you how to be like them.”
WL: What are your plans for the future?
E: I would like to pursue making more clothes for myself, costume pieces that I can wear everyday. Like a suit of armor made of lace or dragon wings sewn to a coat. Think Joan of Arc chic.
WL: What advice would you give a struggling young weirdling?
E: Just fuckin do it. That's the best advice I can give because it's the advice I gave myself. When i first moved to Lancaster I dyed my hair brown and wore jeans and plain t shirts and was miserable and then I thought that was stupid and did what I wanted. Just fuckin’ do it.
Follow Ellie on Instagram, and make sure to watch her stories; they're always fantastic. @cheddarsnoblin
If you like the tapestry in the background of these photos, it was painted by local artist Annajane Dauphine, and she takes commissions for custom painted tapestries. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram and send her a message to get one of your own!
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