Hi everyone,
I guess your wondering who’s the girl behind the phone…the girl in the moving boomerangs and instagram videos modelling the clothing. Well, it’s me Alice Victoria. I am a big Fashion enthusiast I live, work and breathe it. To me Fashion is my escape from the real world. It’s a way for me to express my feelings through the way I dress and anyone that knows me will agree you know the mood I’m in from what I’m wearing.
This BLOG post scares me a little but I have decided to start off this year with the Blog Post about the brand and give you a little insight about what goes on and what we have planned this SS20. So, you are probably wondering what we have been up to the last few months as we have been a little quiet. We have been doing lots of research to find out about you all and what you want to see as at Alice Victoria, you are our main priority. We have been doing lots of research to adapt the collection to suit you, what makes you happy and what you feel comfortable in. From launching in 2018 we have already grown by introducing our Bespoke Made to Order service and we are ready to grow even more with all our new ideas.
So let me tell you a little bit about myself and Alice Victoria.
Why did you decide to launch a clothing brand?
I decided to launch Alice Victoria back in 2018 as it has always been a dream of mine to launch my own brand. After finishing school at 16 – I decided to attend the Fashion Retail Academy. This is where I studied Fashion Business for two years and then went onto an extended Diploma in Fashion Buying. Whilst attending the Fashion Retail Academy I interned for numerous companies from the Styling and Buying department in Selfridges to working alongside Mark Heyes at ITV with This Morning. Whilst at college, on the weekends I would assist stylists, work at Fashion weeks and had a part time job at Oasis as a Sales Assistant. I feel from all of my experience my passion and interest in Fashion grew! I had gained lots of experience in different areas within the Fashion Industry. When graduating the Fashion Retail Academy, I had been approached by Warehouse and was invited for an interview in the Buying team. This is where my first Full Time job in the Fashion industry started and was offered my first role in Buying. I met so many amazing people whilst being at this job, I learned so many new skills. On the weekends I also carried on my work with stylists and worked at every fashion week and numerous events. After two years I decided to leave my Buying Job and had a few months freelancing at companies as a Stylist and assisting other stylists. I had learnt a bit about all the different departments to running a brand from Design, Production and sales and so decided it was time for me to launch Alice Victoria.
What do you enjoy most about running a Fashion brand?
For me the most rewarding and enjoyable part to running a Fashion Brand is seeing my customers satisfied with there purchase and making them feel comfortable and confident in there swimwear and clothing.
What keeps you motivated and gives you fresh ideas for Alice Victoria?
With the fashion industry being so fast paced I am constantly inspired and have fresh ideas (sometimes too many as my friends and family would say!) I go on regular trips abroad and I am on the constant look out for new trends. I watch regular fashion shows and read magazines daily. Instagram is also a great way for me to find new ideas as well as follow and look into trends.
What keeps Alice Victoria exclusive and different to other brands?
We set ourselves apart from other brands by making sure that we offer our customers not only good quality clothing but also comfortable clothing. Our products have been exclusively hand made from the finest fabrics sourced from London by Alice Victoria. These fabrics have been selectively chosen, designed, dyed and printed to suit the brands ethos and appeal to our customer by providing both comfort, support and quality within our collections.
Why did you decide to launch a Bespoke Made to order Collection within Alice Victoria?
When I first launched Alice Victoria in 2018 it was purely just a Swimwear and Clothing Collection this was because I was new to the whole experience and I needed to learn about what you all wanted to see. I learned about what shapes, styles and fabrications you all felt comfortable wearing. I had lots of orders that was similar to my collection but customers had asked if it was possible to alter certain parts to the styles for example I had been asked to make one of the style bikinis high waisted, one of the maxi skirts the style to be made to tailored the customers height and matching headbands in the print of the outfit. From then on I felt it would be a good idea to offer this service within my collection. I wanted to make this service available to anyone browsing through my instagram. From this service I have had such good feedback and I have built such a good relationship with my customers to help design perfect outfits for their special occasions.
What do you struggle with the most and find the hardest part?
From a young age I’ve worked within the very fast paced fashion industry. It has its ups and downs like any job but I think for me the hardest part is the pressure. I find this hard within my own business and also when I’m working for other companies in the fashion industry. I also struggle with being focused to the topic and the design. Getting through one print for the fabric and one design at a time and not getting over excited and going off on tangents with my ideas. I think what I find different with Alice Victoria to working for a brand is that it’s just me. To begin with this was a huge struggle because I was used to having constant feedback from people within the industry. So from going to have that network and support took a lot of time to feel 100% comfortable in my decisions. I now believe in myself but without the feedback and reassurance from others this wouldn’t have been possible. To remain positive and confident you have to do your research and believe in yourself and your business.
Thank you for taking the time to read this – I would love to hear your feedback and do message me if you have any questions.
Lots of love
Alice Victoria
Alice Victoria 