Spotlight: Alexandra Pijut Is The Next Big Thing For Whimsical and Demi-Couture Fashion Design
By Charlene Lazewski
It’s rare these days to come across young fashion designers who join art, superb craftsmanship, and an aesthetic theme, mix them together, and create fashion designs that steal your heart at first sight. Alexandra Pijut does exactly this. She marries Demi-Couture, with a whimsical aesthetic, and gives it life via inspiration from history, juxtaposed concepts, and her personal life. The result are designs that are absolutely timeless, and exude powerful beauty.
Find Alexandra’s beautiful creations sold on Over The Moon
You are the founder, designer, creator behind Thistle Briar Studio, and now Alexandra Pijut New York. Could you please tell us about each of those brands/businesses?
Yes! Thistle and Briar Studio was started back in December 2020. It is my creative outlet and design studio that creates bespoke designs for all things weddings- invitations suite, bachelorette merchandise, day-of materials- the sky is the limit. I personally paint everything by hand to create something truly unique for brides that are in search of something different.
Alexandra Pijut is my namesake fashion brand that I launched this past May. It is a fashion house based in New York City that provides clients with heirloom, bridal and demi-couture creations. We used the finest materials, factories, and embellishments to create pieces that truly stand out. All of my designs are created and produced here in New York, implementing the highest quality of clothing.
What is the back story of how and why Thistle Briar Studio was created?
It actually started when a work colleague asked me to paint her family for their Christmas card! Their ski trip had been put off due to Covid, so she thought it would be adorable to have a portrait of her family painted in front of a mountain to use on the card instead. She knew that I could paint, since I used to do frequent watercolor fashion illustrations at my then-design job, so she was kind enough to ask me. From there, I received referrals and began working with brides on their wedding materials, which is a majority of my business today!
What inspired you to start the Alexandra Pijut Fashion House?
Starting my brand has been a dream of mine since I was in college studying fashion. My background is in evening wear and luxury RTW design, so the idea of designing under my own name and focusing on these two areas was something I felt compelled to do. I designed for other brands in the industry for five years, which was a wonderful experience, but at the end of the day I wanted to share my point of view and do it on my own. Designing clothing is my absolute favorite thing to do in the world, and launching my own brand allows me to do that every single day.
What types of looks and/or aesthetics can we expect from your fashion house? What inspires your designs?
I have several points of reference that I find myself returning to often when designing- I adore menswear and the juxtaposition of masculine and feminine elements in one garment, looking to historical fashion is always inspiring, and then also reflecting on my own life and experiences. The clothes are an extension of me, so I think it's important to constantly be checking in with myself and designing pieces that I feel proud of and that will resonate with my clientele. I would say that my aesthetic is sophisticated and wearable, yet extravagant at the same time. It's certainly important to me that the clothes work, practically, for the events in my clients' lives, but I want them to always have something fabulous and unexpected- like an uncomplicated silhouette adorned with exquisite, over-the-top embellishments.
For the aspiring fashion designers reading this, what are the top things you did to help launch your fashion house
The main thing that I focused on leading up to my brand launch was making connections. It's so important to have people who believe in you and will support you. I spent the five years before my brand launch creating relationships with factories, beaders, fabric mills, stylists, and other designers who I remain close with to this day. There is so much to learn from other people and I find that when you find someone that is like-minded to you, you must keep them close- the fashion industry really is quite small, so having that network/support system really is critical. I would also say that at a certain point, you have to just take the leap! I was stuck in the "planning phase" for a bit too long, waiting for a moment when I felt that bringing this dream to life would be without risk. That's just not realistic! Now that I am in business, I just ask myself why I didn't do it sooner.
Now that your Fashion House is open, will you continue the Thistle and Briar Studio, or close it? Or will both businesses merge eventually?
Yes! I love Thistle and Briar Studio so I will definitely keep it going. Down the line, I plan on finding ways to overlap the two businesses- like hand painted prints for clothing, or hand painted home goods. There are so many ideas that I want to act on, so I definitely plan on keeping the two businesses going.
Are you looking for any type of partnerships, or collaborations for either of your businesses?
I am always networking and looking to connect with industry professionals! You never know what can come of a relationship or collaboration, so my door is always open! Info@alexandrapijut.com
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