Working Out With Jasmine Alexa
Wearing Jasmine Alexa: Cross Over Crop Top, Carlisle Legging, This Is Me Embroidered T-Shirt
My New Favourite Activewear Brand
Minimal activewear is hard to come by so this Melbourne label has become my new go-to. Jasmine Alexa creates 'active daywear', designs that are ideal for both the gym and everyday, offering an alternative uniform for the busy mums/women of the world (and it's giving me something to live in on my days off).Jasmine Alexa is known for their signature stripes, incorporating them into the majority of their designs. My favourite piece from their latest collection is The Carlisle Legging, featuring a 3D textured side panel of rattan weave and geometric embossing, meaning they're more than just a black pair of leggings. And the Cross Over Crop makes the perfect matching set.I had a chat with founder Jasmine Gescheit about her label, the recent launch of her third collection and the moral and sustainable practices she's implemented into her label.
GETTING TO KNOW JASMINE ALEXA
Why did you start your label Jasmine Alexa? And what made you pursue active daywear?Jasmine: I started Jasmine Alexa out of a personal need; I was frustrated with not being able to find clothes that suited my active lifestyle. I am often on the go, like a lot of women are today, and I wanted clothes that combined the comfort and function of activewear but with the style and elegance of daywear. From this need, Jasmine Alexa was born as well as a new category that blurs the line between sportswear and daywear.How does your latest collection differ to your previous ones?Whilst the core ethos of each collection will always be the same, this one differs because I have now had time to analyse and assess previous collections and I have a better understanding of what pieces work and which ones don’t. This collection boasts improved fits and fabrication, which is something I have worked incredibly hard to perfect. It is still a work in progress, but I am really happy with where the pieces are at.Can you tell me a bit about the quality of the fabrics used in your garments? Why did you decide to change the material of your leggings to nylon and spandex?I personally source all the fabrics myself, mostly from around Melbourne and Sydney, and I choose fabrics that I personally would want to wear. I love premium fabrics that not only feel lux but are lux. I often work with natural fibers and good performance fabrics that are functional and require easy care. I opted to change the leggings from polyester/spandex to nylon/spandex because nylon has a softer finish, as well as it being a stronger fiber. To me fabrication is the most important aspect of a garment; a design can only come to life if the right fabric is used for it.What are Jasmine Alexa’s ethical and sustainable practices?We try to be as ethical and sustainable as we can and hence produce most of our pieces here in Melbourne. We are very hands on with the production process and make regular visits to the factory to try to ensure everything is done fairly. We also try to waste as little as possible, and keep any left-over fabric to use at a later date. I think anyone in design has a social responsibility to try be as ethical and sustainable as they can.100% of proceeds from your ‘This is Me’ range gets donated to Headspace Australia. Why was this important to include in your brand?This is so important to me because after battling my own mental health struggles throughout my teenage years, I vouched to myself that I would one day help others in the same situation, and hence why I chose to partner with Headspace, the national youth mental health foundation. Headspace did not exist when I went through my recovery, and I know how much I would have benefited from it had it been around. Headspace focuses on the health and wellbeing of young Australians by using a more holistic approach and encouraging young people to talk openly about what is going on. The donations go towards helping these young people take control of their own lives and make then part of a safe and accepting community rather than them feeling alone and isolated.What have you learnt since launching Jasmine Alexa?Where do I begin! I have learnt so much about the industry, about business, about fine tuning systems and processes. However, since launching, I have learnt the most about myself. I have learnt how to be tough but kind, how to be resilient and adaptive, but most importantly how to be patient. Things do not always happen overnight, or when I need them to happen, so patience has becoming a very valuable tool I have learnt through this.Shop Jasmine Alexa's latest collection here.