Designer: Alexandria Paton

28 July 2011

In the spirit of Boys by Girls we are interested in exploring how women see the male and how they express how they view boys through their art, whether it be through a camera or through a clothes collection etc.

Zoe Alexandria Paton Burt is one of those females who has focused on menswear and have a stunning graduate collection "A Man Among Men" AW/12 to show for it! Having recently completed her Fashion Design degree at Ravensbourne University, she is now ready to pursue a career in Menswear design.

We jumped at the chance of working with Alexandria recently during our shoot with Matthew Bell at Elite. We wanted to take a deeper dive into her mind to understand what inspired her for the collection and why she made the choice of designing for men.

Click here to view Cecilie's editorial "Longing For Lullabies Of The Good Kind" featuring several styles from Alexandria's collection.

How were you inspired to create your collection "A Man Among Men"?

I was inspired by the modern man and Japanese culture. Taking inspiration from designs such as Raf Simon's and Wooyoungmi, who combine complicated design ideas with a clean aesthetic. I wanted to mix in inspiration from how the samurai built their armour layering everything up, and combine that with traditional tailoring.

How would you describe your collection?

"A Man Among Men" AW12 combines techniques used in antique armour with both modern and traditional tailoring. The collection delves into the world of the samurai, whose armour portrays not only a sense of status but brings with it the idea of wealth. Although the western man's daily armour is the suit, it brings with it the same connotations. The "A Man Among Men" collection fuses together the core essence of both uniforms and their daily uses to create a new and fresh aesthetic that carries the same ideology.


We love the clean lines, yet edgy details in your collection, and we are also suckers for the colour scheme. Where did your colour inspiration come from?

The colours are inspired from a traditional silk painting I love!

Spot our very own Dudley (Next) and James C (D1) on the catwalk in the above image!

Why did you decide to design for men?

I was intending to do women's designs initially! But then fell in love with the thought of doing menswear, so had a change of heart. I love that you have to get into a completely different mindset when you are designing for the opposite sex. You have to think about everything, and make sure everything has to have a function.

How are you finding working with boys?

I prefer it now. It's very relaxed, and completely different to what I expected it to be. I really enjoy the people in the menswear industry as well.


Do you see you being a woman as a strength when designing for men?

Definitely, I think I bring more of a feminine touch into my work. It's not that my collection is feminine, it's more about it influencing where I'm placing the seams and pockets, and trying to make the clothes practical at the same time as I want them to look beautiful. I want the boys wearing my clothes to feel confident and be comfortable in them.


What is next for you?

I would like to continue to build experience in both high street and high end menswear design roles to continue my learning and development, and am consequently looking for opportunities in and around London.

Well thank you Alexandria Paton, you have been a darling!


You can visit Alexandria Paton's website for more information.

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