On the last day of New York Fashion Week, designer Alejandra Alonso Rojas wanted to relieve some of the fashion chaos with a collection that was both peaceful and calming. “The whole concept behind it was grounding,” Rojas says. “I’ve been meditating a lot and enjoying the feeling of quietness.” That being said, Rojas didn’t want to put her showgoers to sleep: She also infused her fall line with sprightly accents like strong colors and whimsical prints, inspired by her love of the energy in the city. “I cannot live without it,” she said. “I really wanted to represent that in the collection too.”
Known best for dresses and knitwear, Rojas put new spins on both wardrobe staples this season. Long-sleeve silk gowns were designed in pastel tie-dyes; the silky slip dresses had splashes of tulle as well as an allover earthy tree print. “It’s almost like [what you see] when you’re laying down, and you see all of the leaves moving,” Rojas said. Continuing with this idea of a centering in nature, Rojas also created several pieces in leafy prints—be it a sequined suit, or a ruched dress with a high slit. “I picked up leaves from my house, and we hammered them in silk to create these beautiful leaf prints,” she said.
But it was Rojas’s experimentations with tailoring and outerwear that proved a real standout; The categories are something she’s sparsely explored in the past few seasons. Her herringbone suits and jackets featured subtle gold threading in them, and the insides were lined with silk in the same leaf prints as her dresses. The details were just special enough to give them some individuality. She also had sleek leather trenches and shaggy shearling coats in the mix. “It’s one of the collections with the most fabrications that I’ve ever done,” Rojas said.
The designer envisions her customer breaking up all these pieces and incorporating them in a more casual, nonchalant way. One of her main references for the styling was Carrie Bradshaw, wearing a big fur coat and silky dress: Rojas envisions her women mix-and-matching her new fall staples in that signature Carrie way. “I’ve been watching the whole of Sex and the City,” Rojas said. “That was the vibe: You’re dressed up, but you don’t need to be perfectly put together. Embrace your natural beauty and take on the world.”
