Life as it is

A fashion story photographed by Marco Giuliano.

From dawn until dusk, some days will last a lifetime. Parisian fashion brand Alfie worn by Maja, shot by Marco Giuliano and styled by Anca Macavei.

The first undeniable question: please tell us about the brand Alfie.
I have never studied design although I did my bachelor at Parsons, The New School for Design but in Marketing. However, many of my friends studied Fashion Design at the same school, and I remember spending most of my time in the studios simply watching them create. So whether I took part in it or not, fashion design was always a big part of my student life. Maybe it is the reason why I decided to launch my own fashion label, after I graduated from my master in Luxury Management (MAFED) at Bocconi in Milan, last November. Alfie is my surname and since my brand is such an extension of my personal style and mindset it was naturally that I decided to call it Alfie.

Your brand’s core essence states that “Theres a boy in every girl, or the desire to find the perfect balance between femininity and masculinity”. How come you decided for this direction in the nowadays context where the women’s empowerment movement seems of such actuality?
With this moto I am challenging the traditional social norms depicting what a women should wear, or how she should behave. Norms that do not resonate with our society anymore. Through Alfie, I am rejecting the idea of womenswear to connect both world (menswear and womenswear) in order to create endless possibilities. I was strongly inspired by that quote from Yohji Yamamoto “The more (a woman) hides and abandons her femininity, the more it emerges from the very heart of her existence.”

Is any of your own personal style reflected in your designs or are these two separate worlds?

Every single thing I design for Alfie immediately becomes an essential of my wardrobe. I grew up with my brothers and was always inspired by how comfortable yet elegant their clothes appeared to be. Menswear basics are a big part of my personal style and the main inspiration for Alfie.

Alfie’s mindset is straight from the rebellious 60’s while the style straight from the casual 90’s, can you tell us more about the inspirations behind your brand and creations?
The rebellious 60’s are the essence of Alfie’s mindset because it is a revolutionary period. A period of modernisation of our social norms and the beginning of what I like to call “Modern Femininity”. My daily inspirations are mainly menswear basics, and archives form the 90s.

What role do you believe social media plays in the world of fashion nowadays?
If well used, I believe it is a very powerful tool for creatives. It allows anyone, with the right communication strategy, to successfully launch a business online, regardless of connections and budget. In the past months I have discovered so many emerging designers not represented by any PR company, just because they’ve found creative and original ways to communicate with their community.

Any future plans for you would like to share with us?

Yes..! I’ve got this very exciting collaboration coming soon(ish) with a newly launched online concept store, The Yellow World by Evie Henderson. Alfie originals that we reimagined together, made from luxury French houses dead stock. All styles will be available for pre order on both of our websites for a limited amount of time only.

Life as it is

Credits:

Photography: Marco Giuliano / @marcogiulianoph
Styling: Anca Macavei / @ancamacavei
Fashion: Alfie / @alfieparis_
Creative direction: Inga Lavarini / @ilavarini
Interview: Maylyn Bertorelli / @twiggymay
Soundtrack: Hinterheim – My own space
Video assistant: Lorenzo Bevacqua / @mynams
Model: Maja at Urbn Models / @m_jakubiec @urbnmilan

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