Within in a year of returning to Melbourne, in 2010, Alice Edgeley had set up shop on Melbourne’s eponymous Gertrude street and started trading. Bootstrapping her way from a stint as an East London seamstress to a small business owner back in her home city, her success seemingly happened overnight.
Yet the seeds were planted for her brand, Edgeley, long before her moving back down under (for love, may I add). Hailing from a long line of seamstresses, tailors and artisans, one might say fashion was in her blood, and it was apparent from an early age. She began creating fashion illustrations at the tender age of six and was soon after making clothes for “the best dressed dolls in the neighbourhood.”
Then, at age 18, as she left home and started working, she got sidetracked with other stuff. Cycling through all sorts of jobs, as one does in their late teens and early twenties.
Edgeley at home, donning her own design.
“I was even a bartender for a bit, but I was terrible at it, I mean I hate drunk people!” She laughs throatily through the phone during our interview. More than that it was clear she needed to spend her days creating, not pouring pints. With that knowledge she got on track, joining the ranks at Rose Chong costumes, working under Rose as her assistant.
“I ended up working on a film the costume designer but hated set life. So I went to London.” Drawn in by the buzz surrounding the esteemed UK fashion college, Central St Martins, she left her career as a budding Aussie costume designer and got on a one-way flight without a proper plan.
“I didn’t have a plan per se, but I wrote down all of the designers I wanted to work for, and one of them was Christopher Kane.” She soon found herself creating samples and sewing for Kane after a couple of weeks of handing out her CV in her new city.
“I’ve always been a hard worker. I’m the type of person who leaves last and takes the bins out.” Her work there was valued and despite being new on the scene she was a part of one of London’s most exciting fashion brands at the time (circa 2007).
Naturally, as Kane’s business grew, so did Alice’s workload. In the three years of her time there they went from producing two collections per year to eight, showing at every event on fashion’s demanding calendar, with Kane also designing for Versace on the side.
“It got to the point where I realised if I was going to die in front of a sewing machine it might as well have been for myself.” Beyond the gruelling work load (too much even for a hard worker) she’d also met a man, Melbourne-based bespoke jeweller, William Griffiths.
With exhaustion pushing her away and love pulling her home, she found herself on a plane back to Melbourne. When she got home, with William’s encouragement, she soon had the plan to start her own brand and open a boutique with her humble savings of $2,000.
“I’ve never had a business credit card, I’ve never even been allowed a business credit card.” As Alice prepped her new label she did it all, scrimping, sewing, saving - setting up a store and creating a first, full collection without any assistance.
“When I created my first collections they weren’t much like what I make now.” If you look at her website’s archive you’ll see the preppy, somber, rather Wednesday Adams array of black frocks from her first collection. However now she is known for her uninhibited use of print and colour.
She told me it took about four years for the brand to hit it’s stride but since then she’s been creating bold clothing and costumes for an array of people based across the globe. Her off-beat and devoted group of clients now include burlesque performer Marawa, fashion historian Amber Butchart and her signature velvet turban’s have even been spied on actress Debi Mazar.
Her innate creativity shines in all she does. A constant stream of self-expression is apparent on her Instagram as she posts pictures of herself donning her own designs. Ms Edgeley (as Alice is known as on the internet) is her own muse, yet she does it without arrogance. Her bright red hair and tall, waif-like frame make for a great picture, more so in one of her colourful creations which she showcases so well. In fact it’s as though she herself embodies one of her vivid fashion illustrations come to life.
Her shopfront now runs on an appointment-only basis with her offerings being bespoke version of the samples which decorate the space. Her website says she designs up to a size 22, and her signature stretch fabrics means she can really create clothes to suit any shape as she knows “hardly anyone fits an off-the-rack size.”
Want to know something charming about Alice? That little girl who loved to draw fashion illustrations is still a prime part of her. I recently had lunch with Alice and another friend in Milan (we both happened to be in Italy’s fashion capital at the same time and did a lot of vintage shopping together). As we sat down and waited for our pasta Alice pulled out a sketchbook, along with a bunch of colourful pens, and began to design as the other friend and I drank cheap tourist table wine and had a pessimistic, overly “grown up” conversation about world politics.
I guess the key to Alice’s success is that at 43 she’s not lost her childlike sense of play, but that’s all balanced out with the adult version of Alice, a brilliant and determined businesswoman who works hard and still takes the bins out.
Follow or Shop Alice Edgeley today.
Images by Eryca Green.
I love this profile! What gorgeous, thought-provoking clothes!