Tuesday 1 May 2012

An Interview with Alice Takes a Trip!

Today I'm absolutely delighted to share with you a recent interview we did with Claire and Lauren of my favourite independent label, Alice Takes a Trip. Regular readers of the blog may have caught a glimpse of their fab work, when I picked them for my Boutique Love feature at the start of the year... or every time I share an outfit post as their designs are never off my back! 


I stumbled across this brand whilst I was uni and instantly fell in love with their magical little shop with a sewing machine set up in the corner and Victoriana inspired attire, using exquisite velvet fabrics, embellished with bows and dreamy vintage style lace. Since then, their collection and style has expanded greatly, offering the most charming collection of t-shirts, shorts, jumpers, dresses & bags! I find that the cut of the garments are always perfect (boyfriend fit tees, high waisted 50s fitting shorts), and the prints each season are always exciting and fresh. 


I was absolutely thrilled when they asked me to model for their S/S 12 collection, and got to spend a day getting ready in their lush studio space, having our hair curled, plaited, crimped and top-knotted by the beautiful Jennifer of Jennifer Sarah Hairdressing and flouncing around in a grand hotel for the shoot in my dream wardrobe! They are both so incredibly lovely, so we got in touch again to find out a little more about their brand...


CLAIRE AND LOZ
Alice Takes A Trip, Owners & Designers (and sisters!) Lauren & Claire

QUESTION1

We got sewing machines from a very young age and have therefore always been interested in fashion. We soon started making our own clothes and so the obvious choice for us was to both go on and study fashion after leaving school - that way we got to learn proper techniques like pattern cutting. 

QUESTION2

We established in 2006 - Claire opened a small boutique in the Forum shops in Sheffield while Lauren was at university. At this time Alice Takes a Trip mainly consisted of re-worked vintage and re-worked fun, quirky prom dresses that seemed to get our name on the market as a lot of companies wanted to use them for fashion shoots and shows. When Lauren finished university we decided to take Alice Takes a Trip to the next level and turn it into a brand name. We closed the shop and moved into a design studio to sell online and wholesale to shops and boutiques worldwide. Getting a boutique on ASOS has really boosted our company worldwide. 

QUESTION3

Alice in Wonderland, the Victorian Fairytale has always been one of our main sources of inspiration, as every collection we always include a dolly dress. We don't have a set style icon as such, we get our dress inspiration from Victorian Pot Dolls and Victorian Clothing. The rest of our collection ties in with current trends of that season but with an added twist. 

FLYER BACK
Victorian Inspired Velvet Peter Pan Collar Dress, Alice Takes A Trip

QUESTION4

An Alice girl is fashion forward and in with the trends but also wants to be different and stand out from the crowd. Our customers seem very loyal and come back over and over again. We try to add a new mini collection every six weeks to keep the brand fresh.

QUESTION5

We have won a few competitions but our favourite and most enjoyable has to be having the chance to be involved with Channel 4's Frock Me TV Show, which was hosted by Alexa Chung & Henry Holland. During the show we designed and made an outfit for one of the contestants - they then went on to win best dressed in the show. We took part in our first trade show a couple of years ago at London Edge and had the smallest stall there, but went on to win the Best Dressed Stall of that Season. We were excited to catch Caryn Franklin browsing our rails at the clothes show and purchasing two of our t-shirts for her daughters.

QUESTION6

Most things are done in our studio. That means we do the designing, the making, the photoshoots, the website, and flyer designs and everything else that crops up, so it's all pretty full on. Even though it can be hard, it's what we love doing and we think it's what makes Alice Takes a Trip unique. With Alice contanstly growing we are having some things factory made but have sourced a local factory in the UK to still keep things made in our home town of Sheffield.

FLYER FRONT 
White Leopard Print Faux Rustic Leather Cross Stud T-Shirt, Alice Takes A Trip
 
QUESTION7

We have something very exciting up our sleeves and are working on an exclusive designer range for Alice Takes a Trip. We don't want to give too much away right now but this should be ready in around 4 weeks. 

QUESTION8
We are in the studio from 8am till 6pm every week day and grab a few mins for lunch on the go. It's constantly non-stop but we wouldn't have it any other way.

QUESTION 9

Our little Alice teams consists of mix musical tastes to it's a constant battle for the ipod. Once your back's turned the song has changed! Ha!

  14 6 7

To view the full collection visit their website, their ASOS Boutique, or follow on Facebook for first previews of upcoming collections and exclusive special offers! 

Thanks so much lovelies, we can't wait to see what's coming next!

Much love, 
Lauren xx

PS.  You still have until 12pm (GMT) tomorrow to enter our One Year Giveaway for your chance of winning our fave twee-treats! ♥  Take a look here

2 comments:

Megan said...

Such talented ladies! I've been dying to get my hands on one of their animal print tees with the bows after I saw them at a vintage fair I went to! xo

Amy K said...

This is great! I love your blog. I think we should follow each other - http://amyklundt.blogspot.com/

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