Behind the designs at Al Elé
‘Designer’ might evoke images of a glamorous lifestyle, overflowing with luxury. But what does the day-to-day hustle of running a clothing line really look like? In this blog, we’re taking you behind the scenes at Al Elé to show you how it all comes together.
“The truth is that there is no typical day,” explains Alice Kavanagh Federici, founder and designer behind Al Elé.
“When I have design days, yes, there are typical days - but that's not all I do anymore.”
Alice explains that as her designs gained traction following their humble market beginnings, the nature of her work has changed. She is no longer simply a fashion designer - but a small business owner, too.
In reality, that means handling the nitty-gritty logistics of day-to-day business processes, all while juggling design work.
Alice admits that there are a lot of mundane tasks involved—like ordering colour threads, making calls, waiting for backorders, and a whole lot of computer work.
“And a lot of sewing,” she adds. “Sometimes I have to sit for eight hours a day and sew straight lines.”
“And a lot of sewing,” she adds. “Sometimes I have to sit for eight hours a day and sew straight lines.”
But Alice’s work, of course, spans so much further than business and operations. Alice’s creative processes are the beating heart behind Al Ele’s clothing lines, cultivating the essence of Al Elé.
She says that her aim is always to design something that people will wear - “and actually want to wear”.
In what may sound like a plot twist to the usual process of designers, Alice firmly states that Al Elé does not release based on industry trends.
The design process at Al Elé, explains Alice, is to let the community drive the designs through an organic process of collaboration.
“We just listen to what people want, to feedback, and that's how we design our collections. Sometimes that coincides with trends, sometimes it doesn’t.”
“I think the most ‘trendy’ thing we’re doing is a chocolate-coloured linen… which is probably six months behind-trend,” she adds.
Alongside Al Elé’s staple collections, Alice develops innovative lines that fuse her creative flair with customer wants and needs.
Last year, Alice rode a wave of inspiration which resulted in the birth of her favorite line to date - the Pasta line. Following her creative instincts, she says that the line came to her naturally.
The creative journey is not always so easy, however.
“I find it difficult, sometimes,” says Alice, “to come up with something new. Because when you've just made something that's really good, you feel like you have to do something better.”
“Our Iris pants are the seventh version of the tailored pant that we've tried to make. That's six ‘failed’ attempts.”
Even over the past week, Alice admits she was struggling to come up with a print for the 2025 Autumn/Winter collection. Though she’s “almost got it now,” the reality is that it took a month, on and off, to land on the result.
“Some things come really easily, and some with difficulty. Designing something new is accepting defeat over and over again before you get it right,” she reflects.
For that very reason, Alice says that resilience is one of the most important qualities to have as a designer.
Creative blocks are an inevitable part of the journey—perhaps even integral. When challenged by these moments, Alice reflects on her time at University, when she had creative freedom without the pressure of a label, as a reminder to enjoy the process.
“I think it's important to keep the fun going, to keep it interesting, and sometimes to do something a bit silly.”
