South African born fashion designer Alexis Barrell has lived and
worked in many cities and it is this love for travel we see in the
colours, prints, shapes and textures of her collections. We
share that journey and for Barrell, each collection has a story to
tell. The AW12 collection we see here is inspired from a very
English trip to the seaside on a 'milky winter's day'. Drawing on
landscape colours and paintings by Philip Govedare, the mix of
organic softness and tough synthetics is a response to the
juxtaposition of the concrete structures, standing resolute,
against the the wildness of the sea. We asked Barrell about her
work and whether she draws on architectural influences when
creating shapes and forms out of fabrics. Having studied
architecture in Cape Town, achieving a distinction in fashion
design at the Istituto Marangoni in Paris and then perfecting the
art of draping with bias-cut silks and seamless forms under the
guidance of couturier Marc Bouwer in New York - we asked
-
is sculpture important?
It's hard to tell what influences you are drawing from. Every piece
is completely spontaneous, draped on the mannequin, and I am sure
your hands remember. As a general guiding principle though, I am
very much influenced by the sculptural simplicity of modernist
forms… le Corbusier, Brancusi, Charlotte Perriand, etc. Sculpture
is important because it speaks to your emotions.
Are there any fashion designers, you have seen the work of
recently, that make you go 'wow' - do they inspire
you?
I am inspired by any designer who really pushes themselves. What we
do is really hard, and it takes guts to keep moving to a new level.
I admire that in anybodies work, regardless of the style.
Describe the general process you go through to design and
realise a piece of clothing?
In general I do not have many general processes! Each piece is born
from a new experience, accident, feeling… Then it is draped
and cut straight from the fabric. After that I usually leave it
alone.
What does fashion mean to you?
Fashion is self-expression, but also a fantastic visual reference
to the zeitgeist. It's fantasy translated for reality, informed by
the future.
How would you define your personal style?
I have described it before as Grace Kelly running away with the
gypsies, and people seem to agree with that.
What are you wearing right now?
One of the samples I happen to be draping on myself. It is quite an
amusing sight!
What is the most memorable place you have visited thus
far?
That is a very tough question!
Since founding the label in 2010, what has been your worst
and best experience?
My worst experiences have to do with being let down by people and
with coming to terms with my own limitations as a young designer
without vast amounts of resources or experience. My best
experiences have to do with people once again, and with surpassing
those limitations I had identified.
Describe your life or work in six words?
Life or work? well they're the same thing I guess… travel, romance,
challenge, collaboration, authenticity and (lots of)
questions
You have mentioned a love for travel, freedom and an old
world sense of fantasy, basing your collections on such adventures,
experiences and influences. Where are you headed to next and
what can we expect from the future?
I recently took a wonderful road trip in South Africa through the
arid flat plains of the Karoo. You can expect a little bit of home
next season, but from a different perspective.
What advice would you give to up and coming designers who
read Unfolded?
A great friend of mine once told me: Remember to have fun with it.
This sounds so simplistic but has helped me get through some tough
moments in the design process, and even be more productive.
www.alexisbarrell.com
Interview by Nardip Singh
Images supplied by
www.spring-london.com
As featured in Unfolded Magazine Issue 09