Things are popping for Alejandra Alonso Rojas professionally and personally. The designer, who decided to drop Spring in favor of showing three times a year so she could better focus on her strengths (read: knits, leathers, and handwork), shot her first Pre-Fall collection in the pop-up stop she opened a few weeks ago on White Street. The store has been such a success that she’s extended the lease. As if that weren’t enough to cheer about, below the designer’s flowing Botticelli curls sits a beautiful baby bump.
Rojas is a designer who remains faithful to her core silhouettes, evolving them to suit the season. Lightness—and layerability—were her aims for this collection, one that had a fresh languor. There were many riffs on bias-cut slip dressing, and variations on side-draped skirts, which were offered in trailing maxi lengths. Similarly, touch-the-ground pants extended to high waists. These might be paired with crochet-and-knit midriff sweaters, or combined with a bra top and a structured single-breasted blazer, worn open for a “power” look. Adding texture to the lineup was a Mariano Fortuny–inspired plissé that Rojas plans to add to her arsenal long-term. “I think the micro pleating that is very stretchy was a little bit inspired by my pregnancy,” she said.
Color is central to this designer’s process, and she’s known for developing her own tints and fabrics. The atelier, says Rojas, became a veritable lab for Pre-Fall as she and the team employed turmeric, blackberries, indigo, red cabbage, and flowers to create hand-treated textiles, like lengths of ombre-yellows and a whispery petal print. The palette was inspired by the landscapes of Joaquín Sorolla and the Rose and Blue periods of Pablo Picasso. Pinned to Rojas’s mood board, next to photos of her mother and abuela, was Picasso’s Maternité, depicting a nursing mother. (This was even before Rojas knew she was expecting.) For this designer, circularity is everything; each collection starts and ends with her family and her Spanish roots.
