Alejandra Alonso Rojas’ Resort 2025 Collection Balances Feminine Ease With Bold, Optimistic Hues
Alejandra Alonso Rojas’ collections tend to start with inspirations from beachy destinations, but this season, the Spanish designer was feeling homesick for the city she was born in: Madrid.
“I was having a lot of memories from there. For some reason I had the sky in my head, so the whole collection actually started about the blue sky,” she said. “They always say that there’s no blue sky like Madrid.”
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The hue also reminded her of Picasso’s blue era; tiles of the city’s streets and her favorite paintings — “The Garden of Earthly Delights” by Hieronymus Bosch and “Las Meninas” by Diego Velazquez, which she saw at the Museo del Prado as a child.
She said the inspirations came together organically to produce the pretty bright and light blue hues running through her resort collection, as seen on a striking cowl back silk gown. Here, color was the main story, further amplified by bright fuschia, red and golden yellows inspired by the traditional Terreiro bullfighting outfits. However, her monochromatic black looks were equally alluring with their subtle, tonal jacquard watercolor print of the Botero sculpture that welcomes visitors at the Madrid airport with hidden “Madrid” and “Alejandra Alonso Rojas” scripts.
Texture and elegant silhouettes also came into play. Cloudy skies inspired new hand-dyed Japanese Shibori looks — most directly, an airy new caftan, and less obviously, punchy pink bias dresses. And memories of her father donning tailored suits inspired the designer to not only up the ante on sleek tailoring (including a playful new red skirt suit), but also create her own herringbone motif using another Shibori technique crafted by folding fabric around a pipe, wrapping it with cord and dumping the pipe into the colorful dye.
It’s just one of the experimental artisanal techniques that has come to signify Alonso Rojas’ eight-year-old brand, which has been growing and maturing with the addition of a new bridal category, and the opening of a New York showroom.
Thoughtful, hand-done processes speak to her overarching ethos of “reinforcing the concept of slow fashion and a closet that has so many possibilities,” she said.
In that vein, the designer adapted her well-known slinky, evening silhouettes into sophisticated mix-and-match sets for day and evening. There were tied cashmere cardigans that could be worn front- or back-facing with full-length bias skirts and fluid silk or sheer organza blouses with skirts or trousers. A standout new red ladder stitch detailed bias skirt could be paired worn with a cutout bustier top for evening or ombre cashmere sweater for day).
The feminine collection exuded elegance and ease with just enough boldness that customers are seeking as fashion moves out of its quiet luxury era.
Also notable, crochet — a mainstay of Alonso Rojas collections — was noticeably pared down this season. The reasoning was her desire to go heavier into core and woven styles for resort, with the plan to go heavier on crochet for spring.
“Sometimes for resort and winter collections, people don’t understand crochet as much as when it’s a summer collection,” she said, also noting the importance of balancing the collections when they inevitably hang on the retail floor together. Alonso Rojas said this positioning comes from her close relationship with customers.
“I’m actually the one receiving the emails from customer service. It’s a lot of attention — our return rate is really low because I ask them for the measurements; we advise them, and we also offer free tailoring for the customers when they shop from us,” she said.
She relishes being hands on, both online and in person at her New York showroom that opened six months ago as a place for customers to shop by appointment for her thoughtful ready-to-wear and new bridal collection.
“That’s what people come to us for, so we try to deliver that as if it was a boutique,” she said.
Launch Gallery: Alejandra Alonso Rojas Resort 2025 Ready-to-Wear Collection
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