Making a splash in the fashion world
FASHION designer Alexi Freeman is enjoying the success of the recent launch of his spring/summer collection.
DALIA SABLE
FOR emerging designer Alexi Freeman, inspiration comes from everywhere aside from fashion itself. The fine arts graduate is currently enjoying the success of the recent launch of his third spring/summer collection of his self-named fashion label.
He certainly has a sense of style, so -— if not from fashion -— where do his ideas come from? “From the clouds, from the shapes that I see when I close my eyes, from the cracks in the pavement, from pretty much anywhere other than fashion itself,” he explains.
“It’s my philosophy that fashion needs to be a reflection of life and if it’s simply fashion referencing fashion, it’s more like a dog chasing its tail.”
If Freeman’s ideas reflect life, it’s not surprising they’re so eclectic. His family history is as interesting and intricate as his designs. His paternal grandparents were Russian Jews and his maternal grandfather was a Nazi soldier.
Freeman says it is no surprise to him that, upon meeting in Berlin in 1963, his parents immigrated to Hobart as far away from Germany as possible.
It was in Tasmania that his mother converted to Judaism. Freeman had a strong Jewish upbringing, which he’s drawn upon for his creations.
“I am enamoured by the richness of the Hebrew language, not only orally, but it’s so graceful as a written language, so I referenced Hebrew characters in a series of self-portrait limited-edition etchings on paper, cotton and silk which I designed in 2005, and I also appropriated the Magen David as the central print motif of my autumn/winter 2008 collection,” he says.
But fashion wasn’t Freeman’s first career choice. He admits he wasn’t even aware of it as an option until the age of 17, during his first year of art school.
“I got to the point where I felt my art practice was the genesis of fashion collections that needed to be materialised, and I think this was because design is so integrated into our lives, whereas art is usually something that we observe from a distance,” Freeman says.
“I wanted people to really be able to engage with my work in a very intimate way and I felt making the switch from fine art to fashion was the best way to bring about this change in engagement.”
And so the young designer made the move from Tasmania to Melbourne, launching his first women’s wear range to a great reception, with boutiques in Australia, New Zealand and the US buying garments from his debut collection.
As his work has evolved, Freeman says he has been “building momentum with each successive collection” and his most recent range has now cut through to the elusive European market.
As for the next stage of his work, the budding couturier has begun to incorporate jewellery into his latest collection, bags into his next, while a current collaboration with a show designer will see Freeman expand into footwear in the near future.
Enquiries: www.alexifreeman.com.
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