Part of the appeal of Scandinavian style is its strong association with lifestyle; magazines dream of big white rooms, tastefully decorated with mid-century designs, and shiny, Happy cyclist. Copenhagen-based designer Alectra Rothschild is revealing aspects of the culture that don’t fit this high-gloss narrative. “I wanted to show another way of life,” she said over coffee in the capital. “My clothes have a lot to do with the community I’m in – it’s trans people, nightlifers, DJs, musicians…all these people are on the fringes of society. I wanted to put that way of life on a pedestal on because I think it should be there.”
Rothschild De graduated from the Royal Danish Academy last spring with her portfolio titled Messages from the Stars, an exploration of her dressing self. “It’s about diversity and being able to be more than one thing,” she explains. “There are so many of us, in so many different contexts, so I wanted to express it through characters…it’s kind of like an imaginary self-portrait of how I want to see all the parts of myself.” Her debut collection continues this Style, references Kylie Minogue and Toms (Ford and Finland), and her eternal inspiration, Mesdames Grès and Vionnet and Cristóbal Balenciaga. The lineup also features a cameo from the designer herself, which she titled “Rest in Peace, Masculina” (the designer’s Instagram hashtag), named for where she is in her life, whether it’s in headroom or in transition aspect. “I finally allowed myself to invest in my practice rather than project it,” Rothschild explained.
Celebrity culture is one of the charms of designers, which sometimes gives way to Orgasm, but not just in terms of aesthetics. Rothschild believed in the transformative power of clothing. “To me, it’s more about the way you wear clothes and how your body naturally behaves when you wear them,” she notes.
When I asked Rothschild if she understood her work to be in Danish in any way, she responded in the affirmative, explaining that in some ways it was A reaction to being immersed in Scandinavian minimalism and thinking it was the “right” way to design. “As someone who really loves acting and glamour, and all that stuff, coming here was very restrictive for me in terms of the homogeneous lifestyle here,” she explained. “Growing up in that environment — and this is just my personal experience — I was ashamed of wanting to be assertive, so I think a lot of my work is also a rebellion against Danish and [Nordic] aesthetics.”
Nonetheless, Rothschild’s bravado fashion upholds many of the values that are being encoded in Danish design (including the minimum sustainability requirements set by the CPHFW). In addition to finding ways to work without waste, she also upcycles fabrics and accessories. Given her personal and professional journey, this idea of revamping and reinventing existing things is symbolic. “There’s more to everyone than these specific boxes or categories, and everyone puts everything in there,” Rothschild said. “I’m just trying to create in a space that’s not restricted, [and focus on my work] without having to do anything other than what I need right now.” It’s time to adopt this approach to design.
