Junior fashion design major Alexandra Greiner knows exactly what it is that sets her apart from the rest. In a sea of designers creating fast fashion for the bright, young, (jobless) youth Greiner is creating clothes for women set on upward mobility, as career oriented as the designer herself. “I look at trends and go the opposite way, or if I’m going to follow a trend I try to spin it in a...fresh and new [way]. My style is very tailored, for the power [driven] woman...”
For the Geoffrey Beene inspired collection so talked about in this column, Greiner draws on the designer’s love of sculptural haute couture and merges it with her rich, austere, sensibility. A prim black bustier, for example, is transformed with a ruched plume of material that fades from black to white and back again.
Greiner’s aesthetic permeates even the most straightforward pieces. A simple gray jacket she designed last year became a bold self-statement with the addition of sculptural details on the shoulders and waist.
Greiner draws her inspiration from nature, architecture, and period costumes. Her most recent collection utilizes all three elements in what she describes as a battle of “organic vs. geometric.” Her affection for the paired down silhouettes of the 1920s is also present in the collection. “I like creating interest with shapes and forms rather than [embellishments, like] embroidery or pattern,” she says.
An internship this past summer at BCBG redefined Greiner’s perspective on her future career opportunities in the fashion industry. “I got to see what type of job i’ll [be applying for] right when I get out of college. There are three levels: designer, assistant designer, and design associate. I’ll start out as a design associate, who basically just run errands for the designers.”
Greiner also had the chance to interview two designers currently employed at the fashion house.
“Both of them said that when they were in college they viewed [creating their own line]... as the ideal success, but once they got out in the real world they saw what huge [of an] undertaking [that] was and they didn’t want to risk their own money. They also said they didn’t think they had the business sense for it. I think what makes me unique is that I [understand] both the artistic and business sides of the industry”
Dream Job: To open a fashion house with a small, but devoted audience (similar to the studios of Helmut Lang and Jason Wu) or work as a haute couture designer at an established company like Chanel or Louis Vuitton.
Why you should look out for her: “My work is definitely not for the mass-market. It’s high end. My target market is established urban women in her 20s and 30s. I feel like a lot of style right now is very eclectic and you throw a bunch of shit on and its called style. I like it for our age group, but it’s not good for an older woman.”
Designer Confidential: “I love both the artistic and the business sides of the industry, so that will help me when I want to start my own line.”
-Julie Kosin
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