In Conversation with: Alexandra Bickerdike

 

 

Stylist, close friend and long-time supporter of DALA, Alexandra Bickerdike talks to us about getting dressed as a daily ritual, the emotional importance to the pieces she keeps, and her creative practice shaped by material, form and intuition.

Drawing inspiration from sculpture, art school beginnings, and a hands-on approach to fashion, Alex chats to us about her background in styling.

What does getting dressed mean to you?

I’ve always enjoyed the act of getting dressed, as the first moment you engage with yourself and your feelings at the beginning of the day. 

From a ritual point of view it’s an important part of the day for me to clear a headspace and have a little chat about how I’m feeling.

What does it take for something to end up in your wardrobe?

The special pieces that I end up taking home these days are usually because I felt some kind of connection - little zaps of energy, or messengers that you know are carrying something for you. I don’t shop online for personal items that much, anything that I tend to keep I have usually seen in person and touched the fabric or felt something when I first saw it.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration ?

I was always super drawn to Brâncuși, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Gormley.. They each have such an individual and powerful way of transcribing form that I always find inspiring. One of my favourite places on earth is the Yorkshire Sculpture Park where the works are allowed to live outside and interact with the elements and the landscape. It’s a meditative place, definitely inspiring. 

I don’t really have a style icon as such but when I first started getting into fashion it was designers like Vivienne Westwood and Lee McQueen that really inspired me. I loved the structured tailoring that was classic but also mixed with punk then McQueens incredible craft and detail, the imagery was both romantic and severe at the same time. As a young girl at art school that kind of juxtaposing ideas and mixing unconventional fabrics was the kind of rebellion that was very appealing to me. 

I still feel when I’m styling something I want to find that balance of mixing concepts, something spontaneous or odd.

What made you want to be a stylist? How did you first get into it? 

I was at art school in Leeds and I didn’t know what a stylist was at the time, I had originally set out just to draw and paint because that’s all I wanted to do. I found fashion, textiles, and sculpture along the way too which fuelled my creative outlook. I was one of those little girls that would spend my time dressing the Barbie with all my curiosities, as soon as I found out people got paid to do that job I was sold. 

I moved to London for a degree in photography and styling at London College of Fashion and my first internship was the launch issue of Dasha Zhukova’s Garage magazine, that was my first taste of magazine culture and what working life might be like as a styling assistant. I remember dropping bags back to Karla Otto and completely beaming.

I’ve always found your work to be super sculptural and considered, do you see clothes more as materiality than garments? 

Depending on the project, I think it can be translated that the clothes become more materiality, if for example a piece needs to be altered for a new purpose. I often think of the character who is in the clothes whilst I’m working and might perhaps think of something we need to source or adapt in the moment. The process is the same mentally, maybe visualising a concept from words and how they become physical when working with any kind of medium. There is an overlap of where clothes are materiality and where they are pieces with meaning / purpose / history to serve the wearer. 

You’re in the process of renovating a house, do you have the same creative process with interiors as you do with your styling work? 

I would say it’s similar, conceptualising each layer, perfecting and considering each element before moving onto the next complimenting layer.

I've really enjoyed the process and how much I learnt whilst wearing multiple hats, obviously being a novice but a stubborn novice meant I wanted things my own way. It’s still the art of selection and balance which is great fun, playing with colour and texture, and then throwing in something unexpected.

You’re from the north but have lived in London for a while now, what is it about London that makes it feel like home?

London is a place that welcomes everyone from all different walks of life, for me coming to London felt like a place to truly be yourself. It was easy to fall in love with London and grow roots here, surrounded by so much creativity, history and cultural depth.

How would you describe your style? 

Personal: (hopefully)

Elegant 

Tactile 

Effortless

My work: (hopefully)

Poetic 

Minimal

Purity of form

Tell us about your favourite pair of jeans

— CURRENT

As you know, I’m basically living in my Lido jeans. They’ve become that everyday essential pair I can throw for work, or play, on set, heading somewhere cute. Also very much enjoying my purple Isle pair, which are like that hot friend that can’t go anywhere without someone stopping them. 

— FUTURE

I have my eyes on the Isle in Salt for Spring, which will easily slot into the rotation. 

— OLD

I have an old pair of mixed wash jeans which have lived with me for over 10 years. They've been to festivals, roughed up on set, on dates, they’ve got a couple of tears right on the bum, which I had to handsew on location in Dallas. They’re not my favourite fit or even favourite cut but I have a strange attachment to them after all the years they’ve served.

3 Favourite items from the current collection

Olive Mountain Jacket set

Mineral Lizard Isle

Black Strip Dress

All 3 knock outs 10/10 can’t stay home.

You are a long time friend and creative collaborator of Dala ( thank you !! ) what is it about the brand that you resonate with?

During my friendship with DALA and the wonderful people behind it, I’ve always connected with their idea of future heirlooms. It’s a way of thinking that completely aligns with how I like to buy clothes; buying less, with more intention and connection to a piece. 

Rosie has always been so considered in her thought process and approach to sustainability, from where the pieces are made to the circularity of the production. A desire to own things that stay with you for a long time, evolve with your lifestyle and gather stories along the way, that’s where DALA resonates.

Finally, please can you add a couple tracks to our playlist

Sketch for Summer - The Durutti Column 

Gold Lion - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Ikigai - Robohands

Sugar On My Tongue - Talking Heads

The Rip - Portishead

Pink Moon - Nick Drake

Coldsky - Vaughan H King :)

Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd

Slope - Corto Alto