“I’M A VERY emotional person,” designer Alix Higgins tells me over email in the days leading up to his debut runway at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week. Viewing his Autumn/Winter ’22 collection, ‘A Gift To The Fall’, makes that perfectly clear: There’s a certain vulnerable tenderness in each look that saunters down the runway. Perhaps it’s the abstract snippets of poetry emblazoned on each garment — “fairy”, “future”, “my own holy ghost”, “i’m not scared anymore”, “no longer dancing on the lap of the gods but on the graves of men” — or the soft-focus, pastel-and-neutrals colour palette. Maybe it’s the silky fabrications on which the gradient stripes and words are printed; or the wisp-like tendrils of netting that float like gossamer over top of select pieces.
Higgins describes ‘A Gift From The Fall’ as “an odyssey, a desert, a highway, somewhere and nowhere … a new arena for my brand”. There’s a romantic sense to it all, the collection of tank tops and bike shorts; draped skirts, shirts and dresses. Models wander down the runway, their bare feet desert-stained: some in ashy-white sand, others with blood-red earth. Higgins calls them his “army of angels, a procession of lost figures, marching through a vast space, forward to the future”.
There are the familiar skin-tight silhouettes Higgins found fame for, but also newer designs that further support the brand’s inclusivity while still feeling entirely true to the brand. Tighter designs give way to floaty pieces with that wanderer, flaneur sort of vibe that Higgins is going for. He strengthens his offering with an expansion into new, sustainable materials; and a refined colour palette — a designer looking to harden himself as more eyes are focused on him, he confesses — with “more serious brown, beige, black and white, with a few surprises … a desert rose… cacti…”
The resulting runway is met with enthusiastic cheers and applause — if this dystopic fantasy is the future of fashion, sign us up, guests seem to agree.
Related: BAZAAR’s Fashion News Director recaps day five of Fashion Week
In the lead-up to the runway, BAZAAR spoke to Higgins about ‘A Gift From the Fall’. Below, discover more about the enticing collection and all of its influences.
How are you feeling about being tapped to present your debut solo runway for Afterpay Australian Fashion Week?
It’s a real honour. Doing a show for me has always been really the height of fashion, because it’s when you can most explore and expand upon your world, through set, music, casting. Structuring a collection for a show has been an exciting challenge.
You’ve talked previously about the influence of the internet — and particularly Tumblr — on your designs and creative style. How has this influenced ‘A Gift From The Fall’, and what were the other inspirations for this collection?
A Gift From The Fall is still much a continuation of my style and so the references do remain similar, however this time the challenge was to refine, strengthen, to grow up in a sense. It’s more analytical in a sense, I was questioning myself and what role I can play. This season feels closer to myself, to my own personal wardrobe. The colours that I am most known for here all but disappear. Instead there are beiges, browns, black and whites. A sort of tongue in cheek seriousness that is quickly undone.
Your work is something like poetry made tangible. What drew you to following this creative route?
I am always writing in my personal life in order to understand, order, process my experiences. I’m hesitant to call it poetry as I am not a trained writer in any sense — but for ease let’s stick with that. The ideas come from my life, I’m a very emotional person and the text is simply about exploring emotion and experience (and identity) in often obfuscated and abstract ways, so that the meaning can shift to different people. It only made sense to explore these ideas as text on clothing after a while, as my creative processes all bled into one.
I’m a very EMOTIONAL person and the text is simply about exploring emotion and experience (and identity) in often OBFUSCATED and ABSTRACT ways, so that the MEANING can SHIFT to different people
You say that the propelling of your brand onto a larger platform has given you the sense that you need to ‘protect’ yourself and refine your style. How did you achieve this while retaining your unique, individual point of difference?
Yes, I really felt the need to refine, strengthen and harden my work this season. I also turned 28 and thought — time to grow up, no more party dresses. There are still plenty of party dresses, speedos, etc here. But I just didn’t want to be known as a designer of form fitting t-shirts. So there are long maxi skirts, a trench coat, collared shirts, mini skirts. The collection is still fun I swear! But I wanted to explore a side of myself that people maybe hadn’t seen yet — experimental lace textiles, softly sculptural draping, a darker colour palette. I think fashion needs to be surprising, I don’t ever enjoy seeing the same thing season after season. But it’s also a negotiation between going too far and staying true to yourself. I think the poetic aspect allows me to interpret many different themes, pieces, looks into my world without losing myself, which is a nice mode of working and realisation I’ve come to.
I think fashion needs to be SURPRISING, I don’t ever enjoy seeing the same thing season after season. But it’s also a NEGOTIATION between going TOO FAR and STAYING TRUE to yourself
For this runway, you chose to collaborate with friends and family by casting them as your models. Talk to me about this choice — what do you feel it brings to the runway?
I couldn’t imagine being able to achieve this without my friends by my side, literally. I need them to lean on and keep me strong and energised. It’s also about sharing this moment with the people I love the most, and who inspire me. My friends have always been cast in my lookbooks, campaigns, it was only natural that they would also take this next step out into the world, leading the way.
Is there a particular look you are most fond of from ‘A Gift From The Fall’?
The closing look of the show to me summarises the whole collection, a guided wandering through a desert landscape, a balance of tough and romantic, otherworldly. Also a balance between my histories — an education in Paris where we learnt couture drape and hand sewing techniques and a more sporty, restrained T-shirt that is the basis of my brand today.
What do you think Alix Higgins has to offer to the Australian fashion landscape?
Poetry.
What do you envision as the future of Alix Higgins?
It’s hard to say. Hopefully many more years of shows, collections. Being able to explore new ideas, refine the collection, new materials, new garment types.
