Looking at a pile of offcut yarn in his mother’s studio, Alejandra Alonso Rojas’s son, Alonso, then about four years old, asked two pertinent questions: “Mommy, what are you making with these?” and “Will you make me something?” It was an aha moment for the designer. Realizing that the pile of yarn would only grow over time, she developed a line of locally made—hand-knit, in fact—cashmere sweaters for children aged 18 months to 6 years. These come in three styles—a button-front cardigan with patch pockets, a crewneck, and a raglan-sleeve pullover with a button close at the left shoulder—in colors that range from assertive brights (Klein blue) to classic neutrals. “I love these silhouettes,” she said. “They aren’t too complicated. I sometimes feel the material, the color. Less is more.”
The line—which will be sold through the designer’s physical and online boutiques starting this Thursday—is an extension of the brand’s overall approach to responsible design. Because the Alonso collection is made using excess and development yarn, as well as unused main-collection buttons, the offering is limited edition, but it will be ongoing: As more material becomes available, more sweaters will be made.
The best part? The Alonso collection is kid tested, with its namesake taking a lead in how it was presented. “When I started working with Alonso on how we should shoot these,” Rojas explains, “he was like, ‘Well, I want to be in the campaign, but I don’t want to be alone. Let’s make a list of friends, and let’s bring toys, a guitar, and my soccer ball.’” Rojas herself styled the 21 nears-and-dears who gathered for the photo session in her studio. “It was a very intense day,” she said, “but we had a really good time.”
