When Alexis was only 17 years old, she started modeling and got into cosplay soon after that. "While I've popped in and out of fashion, cosplay and costuming have long remained a constant in my life," says Alexis. "As I've gotten older, I'm starting to age out of modeling and improved in my fabrication skills," she adds. Alexis has long admired designers like McQueen, whose well-known lines are costume-like in their feel. "It was a natural melding of creative ability with the skill set that I've learned through costuming to spread my wings beyond making known designs into creating something uniquely my own," explains Alexis. Her collection at KFW marks her first time considering herself a "designer."
For her collection at Knoxville Fashion Week, Alexis took the concept of the fashion from "Game of Thrones" and tried to interpret the looks into a more modern idea. She put some of the current fashion trends into the collection like hi-low skirts and jackets, lolita dresses, military stylings, trains and ombre colors. It's a collection that she's been working on since January. "As a cosplayer, I try to make something from nothing," explains Alexis, "so instead of spending a lot on brocade fabrics, I raided local thrift stores for table clothes, curtains and bedsheets." The armor pieces were crafted of model magic and a heat reactive thermoplastic called Worbla.
"I'm a mixed bag of inspiration, really," laughs Alexis. "I see lots of shapes and organic forms as well as amalgams of other styles and I have a really fun time blending them all together." Music is also very inspirational to Alexis, and she admits that, on more than one occasion, music has taken the wheel of her hands while she was fabricating in the workshop.
The process that led to her collection involved a mix of Red Bull and panic. "Cosplayers are sort of famous for being horrible procrastinators who wait until the last minute, and that is absolutely true in my case," says Alexis. She thrifted most of her fabric and immediately tried to start matching which fabric would go best with what sketch. She called in a lot of professional help in the form of opinions, coaching, and technical advice from seamstresses and blacksmith friends. "I would have completely drowned in this collection without their advice," she admits. Although she had some sketches that she created before starting fabrication, as she worked, Alexis says that the dresses took on lives of their own and made themselves as she went along.
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| "Kingslayer" |
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| "Hand of the King" |
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| "Honor" |
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| "Nymeria" |
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| "Castamere" |
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| "Three-Eyed Raven" |
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| "Yunkai" |
Knoxville Fashion Week is sponsored by Gage Models & Talent Agency.
To find out more about Shattered Stitch Cosplay or stay updated on the latest designs of Alexis Montclaire, you can check her out on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ShatteredStitch), Instagram (http://instagram.com/shatteredstitch#), and Twitter (https://twitter.com/ShatteredStitch).
Photography for this shoot was provided by Eric McKinney, with 6:12 Photography. Services include modeling portfolio portraits and headshots, individual/family/couples portraits, wedding, bridal and engagement portraits, athletic and dance photography, boudoir photography, and fashion/runway photography.
For more photos from Knoxville Fashion Week, visit facebook.com/photographybyericmckinney. If you enjoy my work, take a moment to click "like" on my page.
Interested in booking a photo session with 6:12 Photography? Contact Eric McKinney at emckinney612@gmail.com to schedule a shoot.
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