Alex Norrie Bares All: Itsy Bitsy Bikinis & Glamour
Newcastle has long been a breeding-ground for young talent….. Surfers, tick, league players, tick, musicians, tick. Well it seems a new set of talent has emerged from our sandy shores, FASHION DESIGNERS!
The Hunter is currently bursting with talented young fashion designers, about to make their mark on the fashion world. One such young creative talent is Alex Norrie.
Alex is responsible for Alex Norrie S
wimwear, in it’s sixth season of fresh and unique swimwear, and Alex Norrie couture, stunning and individual creations handmade by Alex herself.
Growing up around the pool and beach in Newcastle, Alex began designing and making swimmers for herself and her girlfriends from an early age. This inspired her to go on and study a Masters of Fashion in Sydney, and eventually start her own label.
I caught up with Alex for a quick chat about her latest range….
I love your latest swimwear collection, it’s vibrant and unique. What inspired the collection?
My current swimwear collection is all about girls who want to have their glamour and swim in it too.
Aptly titled - Ooh La Laa - my 2010/11 range is all about high drama and dressing up. Who do you want to be today? The vamp, the rockstar, the girl next door or the glamourpuss? This collection features itsy bitsy bikini’s in fruity and tropical prints, with feminine frills and ruffles. You can go Gaga-esque in sassy designs and clashing colour combos, or for the ultimate in poolside sophistication, I have stylish black one-pieces with an edge.
How do you continue to come up with new inspiration and ideas for your designs?
I like to do up mood boards at the beginning of designing each collection. It’s important that my designs relate to each other and draw together with a certain mood flowing through every piece.
Being a Fashion Designer is every girl’s dream (well mine anyway!) Describe what it is like to be a Fashion Designer, I imagine it’s not all glamour?
Being a fashion designer is extremely challenging and very competitive. You have to believe in yourself and your designs. I make sure my quality of fabrics and garment construction is always top of the line.
What are your thoughts on Newcastle as a creative hub for fashion? How are we doing?
Newcastle is doing amazing in the fashion industry. There are so many talented designers here and it’s fantastic to have events like Newcastle Fashion Week and Styled. They are such a good opportunity for designers to get noticed and have all their hard work paraded on the catwalk!
Alex has shown her swimwear collection at Newcastle Fashion Week the past two years, and has submitted couture and swimwear pieces in FrockOn last year where she was awarded the Award of Excellence for her efforts.
To view the full 2010/11 swimwear range go to Alex Norrie Swimwear.
Great to have a Newcastle fashion voice.