Fashion is often described as self-expression, but for some designers it goes deeper than trends, silhouettes, or seasonal palettes. It becomes a language of identity, resilience, and transformation. For this emerging creative, clothing is about more than what people wear- it is about how they feel when they wear it.
Rooted in femininity, fantasy and personal storytelling, Alana’s designs merge softness with strength, creating garments that allow the wearer to feel graceful, empowered and entirely themselves.
From childhood dreams to creative purpose
Her journey into fashion began long before sketchbooks and pattern cutting. It started in childhood, surrounded by the glamour of Barbie dresses and early 2000’s princess films.
“I wanted to be a princess,” she recalls. “That meant draping blankets around myself as makeshift ball gowns and raiding my mums' wardrobe.”
But another defining moment came later, while studying for her GCSEs in her mother's rural village in Java. Watching episodes of Say Yes to The Dress, she became fascinated not just by the gowns, but by the emotional transformation they inspired.
“It was never only about the dress,” she explains. “It was about how those women felt in it. They stood taller, felt confident and beautiful.”
The emotional connection planted the seed for what would become her creative mission: deigning garments that help people feel like the best version of themselves.
A signature style of softness and strength
Her aesthetic leans unapologetically feminine- flowing fabrics, whimsical silhouettes, and dreamlike textures- but often with masculine elements woven in to create balance.
“I always come back to soft, fluid fabrics and something fantastical,” she says.
Books, poetry, and music are among her biggest influences, particularly stories centred around empowerment. She cites Amanda Lovelace’s Princess Saves Herself in This One and RAYE’S click clack symphony featuring Hans Zimmer as recent inspirations.
Her style has evolved with her own life experiences. Teenage designs were ambitious and purely fantastical. Today, her work is more refined and tailored, blending imagination with technical skill and wearability.
Designing from identity and emotion
Every collection she creates reflects a chapter of her life. Rather than separating art from personal experience, she allows them to inform one another.
Her first college collection explored mental health and its emotional impact. Later, after moving to England for university, she created a collection inspired by Northern Ireland and conflict- an expression of isolation and identity during a major life transition.
“I often find collections mix two opposing aspects of a concept,” she says. “That reflects how I experience life- the tension between what people see on the outside and what I feel on the inside.”
Turning inspiration into garments
Her process usually begins with visual inspiration. An image, atmosphere or concept sparks an idea, followed by research and mood-boarding to build the emotional world of the collection.
From there, sketches emerge alongside colour palettes, fabric swatches, and trims. Once the deigns are refined, she moves into pattern drafting and toiling, testing construction methods, fit and finishing techniques before producing the final garment.
It is a meticulous process, but one driven by instinct and storytelling at every stage.
Fashion as narrative
For this designer, every collection tells a story- even if that story changes along the way.
“Sometimes the story I start with isn’t the one I end with,” she says. “Like stories passed through generations, details shift, some parts grow and others fade.”
Still, certain themes remain constant: feminists, beauty, grace, and empowerment.
Her current collection is perhaps the most personal yet. Inspired by the child she once was- the little girl who loved princesses, longed for connection, and quietly endured hurt- it imagines fashion as armour.
“I’m giving her protection,” she says. “Because in the end, it was me who preserved, me who stood up for myself and me who wanted to look pretty whilst doing it.”
Redefining beauty through confidence
Rather than trying to shock or disrupt in a traditional Avant-Grande sense, her work redefines beauty through emotion and balance. She combines contrasting materials and unexpected softness with structure, creating pieces that feel unusual yet wearable.
Her priority is not novelty for novelty’s sake-it is impact.
“I want the wearer to feel beautiful. Graceful. Confident. Worthy.”
Advice for emerging designers
To young creatives hoping to find their voice in fashion, Alana’s advice is grounded and honest.
“You’re going to change as you move through life, and that’s okay. Lean into what feels naturally you. You do not need to have everything figured out right now.”
Experimentation, she believes is essential. Through trial, play and persistent, confidence eventually follows.
The future of fashion, worn with meaning
In a world where fashion can often feel fast and disposable, designers like Alana remind us of its deeper purpose. Clothing can hold memory, heal confidence, express identity, and tell stories words cannot.
For this rising creative, beauty is not superficial- it is strength made visible.
Go check out Alana's work: @ALANA_SWEET_FASHION on Instagram.
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