Meet the AK Team

Tell us a little bit about your educational and work background.

My grandmother was a seamstress and my mother owned a multi brand store, but despite that I had never considered fashion as a career. I didn’t necessarily want to “make clothes”  and at the time I thought that was all there was to fashion. Still unsure of what I wanted to pursue, I ended up getting a degree in Psychology. Throughout college I noticed I didn’t want to follow that path, so I enrolled in a Culture, Media and Communications summer course at University of the Arts London. For my final project I created a website focused on fashion trends analysis and street style, and that's when I finally understood what I wanted to work with. 

I moved from the countryside to São Paulo to study Fashion Business and got a job in merchandising at Tommy Hilfiger and then Hugo Boss. Despite liking what I was doing, I realized the job lacked creative freedom and human connection.That's when I started working with Ale as a communications / marketing consultant, developing her branding material and newsletters. Since then, I have dropped the 9-5 corporate life and have been working as a fashion producer and image consultant, where I have the opportunity to work with top clients such as Bottega Veneta and Salvatore Ferragamo.

How would you define your personal style?

I like to look polished with a bit of edge, so pairing classic pieces like a well tailored blazer with worn out Doc Martens. Becoming financially independent definitely changed how I shop. Of course it’s tempting to buy into micro trends, but it’s much more cohesive with my style and budget to shop for timeless pieces and invest in unique accessories that I usually find in secondhand stores.

As a kid I was also really interested in wearing my brother and cousin’s clothes, and until this day genderless clothing is something I embody in my style.

Besides fashion, where do you seek inspiration? What moves you?

I am a nostalgic person overall, so anything from the past inspires me. I love old movies and books, photographs, architecture and art from past decades. It all ends up coming full-circle and becoming appealing in new ways during contemporary times.

What’s your go-to look?

High-waisted straight or wide pants with fitted tops and oversized blazers. If I want to feel fancy I'll wear a midi dress and alternate between boots and heeled mules depending on the weather.

Tell us a little bit about your educational and work background.

I've always lived and worked in São Paulo, Brazil. When I finished highschool, I was pretty lost trying to discover my career, so I decided to find something that involved creative processes. I already knew I was passionate about fashion, but no one would support me in this decision. So I decided to study Architecture and worked in a really cool interior design studio. Later on, I mustered the courage to follow my dreams and started fashion design, working with celebrity styling and production, modeling and also assisting in product development for a national denim brand.

In 2019, I started my own apparel brand (despite allll the bureaucratic stuff) and launched it in mid 2021. Nowadays, I divide my time between my brand and managing Ale's social media.

How would you define your personal style?

I honestly can't define it! For me, style walks together with all the changes in my mind, lifestyle, etc, and I don't think I have completely found myself yet.

I always try to support local brands and my friends (most of them run their own fashion brand) so my closet is made of 70% of “friend's creations" that vary in style but always work when I style them together.

Besides fashion, where do you seek inspiration? What moves you?

Life stories! I love to hear and get inspired by stories, especially those that talk about culture.

What’s your go-to look?

All black! Pants and leather boots (chunky ones) with a tailored shirt that has a unique design. I prioritize comfort, well executed shapes and finishings.

Tell us a little bit about your educational and work background.

After high school and a failed attempt to study hotel management, I graduated from Parsons Paris with a diploma in Design Management. That’s where Ale and I met! A year after graduating I moved back to Russia and opened a store. We sold Danish and French brands in an intimate atmosphere. In August last year I split from my business partner and decided to take the store in a different direction - resale. That's what I have been working on since. Having a business for 8 years was a great learning experience. I learned everything from scratch, working on every aspect of the business throughout the years, and yet there is still so much more to learn.

How would you define your personal style?

I prioritize feeling comfortable in my own skin, like when how I feel on the inside matches how I look. I also want to look cool and stand out in the crowd, that’s why I love color and prints. Colorful things lift my spirits so much, so sometimes I wear something like a pink sweatshirt when I’m feeling down.

Besides fashion, where do you seek inspiration? What moves you?

I seek inspiration everywhere. I've always had so many random interests all at once and I always know everything and nothing at the same time.

Sometimes I find inspiration watching reality tv, reading a book, or just practicing yoga. This weekend I’m spending time in nature and playing pretend with my nephew - and that's more inspiring than anything else I could be doing this weekend.

What’s your go-to look?

I don’t think I have one. Maybe a dress with a cool print when it’s warm and then the same but with jeans and sweater when it’s cold.

So happy to introduce you to the women in my team! Hope you enjoyed getting to know a little bit about them :)

www.alekertzer.com