By Alja Horvat II
By Alja Horvat II
It’s almost been one year since I launched my first collection. To be completely honest, if you asked me four months ago if I’m planning on launching another collection I would tell you that I have no idea.
It hasn’t been easy. I was on the verge of never launching another collection again and to giving everything up. There has been so many disappointments along the way.
But every time I get a new order or see a photo of some of you wearing clothes from the collection, it makes me SO happy! and it’s so worth all of the stress and setbacks.
What makes By Alja Horvat fashion brand different?
Prints are usually either created in-house by the textile designer, outsourced through freelance designers or bought from print studios. Fashion brand owners usually don't create their own prints, and this is what makes this brand special as I create both prints for my fashion label and design clothes.
One of my main missions for this drop was to make ethical and sustainable fashion affordable. I’m not making much of a profit with my collection, but what I want is people to be able to buy clothes that are of good quality, are made with people in mind and that are, on top of that, made by a female owned business.
This collection is, as previous one, ethically made in Slovenia. Short dress, bucket hats and pants are made in a family company in Brežice, and other products from this drop are made by a freelance seamstress from my hometown, Maribor.
I value transparency and this is why there is a price breakdown in the description next to each piece of clothing. You are able to see how much it costs me to produce the clothes.
This is actually the last print I’ve designed for the collection. It was inspired by the Garden of Cosmic Speculation, created by landscape architect and theorist Charles Jencks at his home.
The garden was inspired by modern cosmology. I saw the photo of the garden on Instagram and fell in love instantly. It felt so surreal to me. At the same time, I was listening to Bob Dylan’s album Time Out Of Mind, and there were some lyrics that touched me:
I thought it would rain but the clouds passed by
Girls like birds flying away
But I've been looking at my shadow, I been
watching the colors up above
Looking at my shadow, watching the colors up above
Rolling through the rain and hail, looking for
the sunny side of love
Below, on the left, you can see the sketch I’ve created. The main inspiration were the stairs from The Garden of Cosmic Speculation, but I wanted to capture the feeling of hope, new beginnings, freedom and all the things you’re grateful for. On the right side, you can see the final outline I’ve created. After the outline, I created a repeat and then coloured the pattern.
Planets of the Universe is actually the print that I’ve reimagined. This print, but in another colour palette, was already used on the jacket and bucket hat. Universe was always the most magical thing to me. I loved watching stars at night and learning about the universe, stars and planets when I was younger. It’s so funny, because I’ve always been a creative type, but for a few years during my childhood I liked science. I remember being obsessed with the microscope my parents gave me, and with books about the universe, and nature.
I’ve wanted to recreate a feeling of childlike enthusiasm. This prints takes me back to velvet nights on the porch of my childhood house.
The print is named after the Fleetwood Mac’s (Stevie Nicks) song Planets of the Universe (the demo version from Rumours is fantastic).
On the left, you can see the sketch I’ve created back in 2021. The main inspiration was the universe - I wanted to create an abstract scene, that someone laying on the grass, or on their porch, at night, looking at the sky, at the stars, is experiencing. And you’re not looking at the sky/universe/stars, but you’re looking at your childhood version of the universe. It’s like travelling back to the time, when everything was easier.
Being nostalgic for things you’ve never experienced is an odd feeling. Longing for a bygone era.
I’m listening to music non-stop while I’m creating and “Drops of Jupiter “ by Train is one of the songs that invokes feelings of nostalgia and hopefulness at the same time. Pat Monahan (Train’s lead signer) explained, that the song was inspired by the death of his mother. He’s basically playing with idea that even though her life on earth was over, “she’s back in the atmosphere”, she is still with him in spirit.
“Hey, what if no one ever really leaves? What if you’re here, but different.” - Pat Monahan
Another reason why I love the song Drops of Jupiter and why I chose the name for the print, is that scientists believe that Jupiter’s rain is composed of diamonds, rather than water. Jupiter’s massive size generates enormous amount of gravity - combining that with crazy amount of pressure and heat, carbon can be squeezed in mid-air. And this is how it rains diamonds.
The main inspiration behind this piece was the infinity of the universe and the circularness of life. I wanted to create a design that makes you feel as you’re walking through the space, between reality and imagination. That everything is possible and there is so much more than our eyes can see.
Sustainability
Some of our clothes are sewn in a small, family-owned factory in Slovenia, while others are sewn at a freelance seamstress, from Alja’s hometown (Maribor). It’s very important to me that everyone along the production chain is paid and treated fairly, and I took this very seriously. All pieces are produced on a made to order basis to cut down potential waste with unsold overstock.
All fabrics are printed digitally. The company that does my printing uses the technology that is energy efficient and allows them to print on demand, leaving no byproducts or waste. They use large ink jet printers with biodegradable inks to print on cotton and other natural materials. They also strive to work with natural materials that are acquired from local manufacturers by fair trade.
All prints are made with eco friendly water-based dyes and biodegradable inks which are non-hazardous, toxin-free and certified with an OEKO-TEX Eco Passport. Fabrics that I’m using for the collection all have OEKO-Tex Standard, meaning textiles were tested for harmful substances.
Prices for collection range from 65EUR to 150EUR (with VAT included).
Shop our ethical and sustainable collection on our website or on Wolf & Badger