ABOUT | XANDER WILDS DESIGN

ABOUT

MEET THE MAKER:

Hi I'm Alexander and I'm a British designer and dressmaker based near Windsor, England. I run a small #slowfashion business (my micro-brand) where I create all my own products on a small scale and mainly on a made to order basis.

I'm a graduate in Fashion and Textile Design from Winchester School of Art with a specialism in womenswear design. After gaining exposure from my graduate collection ‘All that Glitters’ which was featured on the Vogue website, I have worked as freelance designer and provided garments to stylists for various photoshoots and continued to create new capsule collections for the catwalk and took on commissions from private clients. In 2020, I decided to start channelling my efforts into establishing my own independent handmade clothing & accessories business 'XANDER WILDS DESIGN'.

ABOUT MY SMALL BUSINESS:

I run my business from my home studio and thoroughly enjoy being behind the whole design and creation process. From the initial sketch, to drafting all the design patterns to sewing the item, I am personally responsible for the completed product. I am a slight perfectionist and have meticulous attention to detail, so I take great pride in offering excellent quality and one of a kind creations.

INSPIRATION & AESTHETICS:

I often look to the past for inspiration, as I find vintage styles timeless and tasteful, where the designs often reflect a time where there was a greater appreciation for the craftsmanship behind clothing construction.

Stylishness and comfort are also at the core of my design work, as I favour minimalism and practicality, with nice clean style lines and straightforward silhouettes with accents of eccentricity in my use of elaborate, luxurious and sparkly fabrics & trims. My work is a marriage between maximalism and minimalism.

SUSTAINABILITY & SLOW FASHION:

I’m not concerned with following trends and adhering to the seasonal fashion cycle, as not only do I feel it unnecessary but it’s unobtainable for this 'one-man-brand', I would rather produce a small number of staple quality products per season and steadily build upon my selective range each year.

A benefit of being a small handmade business is that I am able to produce my products on a mainly made to order basis, so there is no surplus and unnecessary stock; I only produce what is required. I also take great care to minimise the waste produced in the creation process and often find appropriate uses for offcuts and remnants in my smaller products. Wherever possible, I like to repurpose and recycle existing fabrics, to do my bit for sustainability and reduce the amount of perfectly useable fabric that is discarded.

I hope to contribute to the slowing down of fashion and the reduction of throw away culture, by creating products that are made to last, are suitable for a number of wearers and can be be handed down as heirlooms or passed on.

FABRICS & FABRIC FIBRES:

Generally I like to stick to natural fibre fabrics within my work, I regularly use cotton, linen, wool and silk, mainly because of their superior qualities and breathability and for the fact that we've been using them for a millennia!

I often also use viscose/rayon a man-made fibre, derived from wood pulp and cotton waste, whenever possible I will use tencel which is a more eco-friendly variant of the fibre.

As mentioned above I limit my use of synthetic fibres to whether it offers a better alternative to it's natural equivalent for example I use faux fur as I no longer feel it necessary or appropriate that we use genuine fur, unless if it's a byproduct.

CORE RANGE:

I offer a number of products that I continually stock throughout the year: