1000 Ideas by 100 Fashion Designers

Alexi Freeman 35

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Alexi Freeman

www.alexifreeman.com

© www.ashotaway.com

Based in Melbourne,

Alexi is a fashion

designer whose

collections for women

are manufactured

locally, incorporating

elements of hand-drawn

and printed textiles

worked into drape that

is juxtaposed with

tailoring. Freeman’s

eponymous label

explores urbane

elegance for modern

women who are

enamored by the past,

but lust after the future.

Having studied  ne

arts at the University

of Tasmania, where he

majored in printmaking

and sculpture,

Freeman’s unorthodox

approach provides

his label with a strong

point of difference

that is earning him the

attention of fashion

industry and fashion

public alike. Freeman’s

work is held in numerous

private collections in

Australia, Europe, and

the US, and his work has

been exhibited at shows

in contemporary spaces

such as Australian

Galleries, Design Centre

Center Launceston, and

Queen Victoria Museum,

among others.

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© www.thewhitebook.com.au

© www.ashotaway.com

051 INSPIRATION. I draw in an automatic

way, intuitively sketching a free  ow of

new ideas. I then develop textile motifs and

search for suitable fabrics to bring these

initial ideas to life. I also think about the

woman who will wear the collection, with

the aim of offering a collection that is fresh,

modern, wearable, and suitable for the

climate of the market I am designing for.

052 W

ORKPLACE. I work in a small

studio in Collingwood, Melbourne,

Australia. Here I design and make samples,

and although I check my toiles with a stand

initially, I prefer to test the  t of my pieces

on living, breathing women, not industry

waifs mind you, but real women with real

body shapes who are indicative of the

clients who will eventually wear my clothes.

053 C

OLORS. I love working with

gradations of colors throughout a collection

and although most of our styles are ordered

in shades of black, I really enjoy working

with a tonal palette of highlight colors that

accent and juxtapose the more commercial,

darker shades.

054 D

EVELOPING A COLLECTION. Once

I have the design, the pattern made, and

cut a new sample, I work closely with

a print house, dye house, and sample

machinist who interpret my print, color,

and garment concepts and help realize my

creative vision. Once the sample collection

is complete, I then work with a sales agent

to sell the collection. Finally I work with

a manufacturing house to reproduce my

designs for my clients.

055 S

TYLE. The Alexi Freeman brand

promises: Deceptively simple, athletic

functionality. Old school glamour with new

school sass. Gallant femininity. Empyrean

utilitarianism. Devil-may-care casual

opulence and allure. To raise more than one

pair of eyebrows. Ethically-made pieces

that will stand the test of time. Directional

collections that are not dictated by trends.

And a lot of bang for your buck!

© www.ashotaway.com

© www.nadiaphotography.com

36 1,000 Ideas by 100 Fashion Designers

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