- Will you consider this?

She's the daughter of a well-known former Peoria preacher, and she's making a name for herself in the fashion industry today.

I'm Christine Zak-Edmonds, don't go away.

(gentle upbeat music) My guest spent many years growing up in Peoria until moving with her parents to Virginia, but that's exactly where Alexandria Maclin-Chaudhuri is making a name for herself as a fashion designer.

And she joins me now.

Alexandria, welcome.

- Hi, thank you for having me.

- So tell us a little bit about yourself.

You were in Peoria growing up, the daughter of the Reverend Stan Maclin.

And a lot of people knew him and admired him.

- Yes, so I was born in Peoria, Illinois and my father was a pastor.

He also had several businesses that he owned African prints, and I'm the youngest of six siblings.

My dad was very active in the community, doing a lot of community work and pastorly work.

His African print shop that he had he sold like print enlargements and clothes and stuff like that.

As a little girl, I just remember being in the shop and seeing everything that he did, and I always wanted to be a part of that shop when I grew up.

So that's really what, you know, started my passion for fashion.

- You said...

I read a little bio that you sent to me and it said that you were quite the fashionista that you would change your clothes.

I think a lot of little girls do that, but maybe you were doing it a little excessively.

- Oh yes, so we had three sets of clothing.

So we had our Sunday's best clothing, we had our school clothes and our play clothes.

And I would go to school and I would come back home and I would change.

And back home they called me Zan.

So my parents would get so mad at me and they were like, "Zan, why are you changing those clothes?

She's always changing."

And they would get so mad at me, but I just figured there were so many clothes, I just had to show the world what I had to offer.

And they always said, she's gonna be a designer or model or something.

So it wasn't a surprise when I decided to be in fashion, so-- - So it's a self-fulfilling prophecy basically, right?

- [Alexander] Yes, yes, yes, it is.

- Well, all right.

You are... You have your own label, Alexandria Dianna, and I will assume that's your middle name or-- - Yes, it is my middle name.

- [Christine] And then-- - Named after my mother.

- Tell me then how do you start?

I mean there, how do you figure out even where to start?

You just started doodling when you were a young girl or is that really how you got, you know, to do this?

- Yes.

So I believe that I was designing, I like to kid around and say since I was in diapers, but in all essence, I used to take my brother's socks and I would cut them up, make clothing for my Barbie dolls in conjunction with the changing clothes.

And I really just wanted to stand outside from the crowd.

You know, when I was in high school, I would travel states away, just so no one had the same outfit as me, because I remember when I moved from Peoria to Virginia, it was a huge change for me.

It was a smaller school so everyone shopped at the same place.

And I remember there was one girl that had the same outfit of me and it was all of a sudden like an episode of who wore it best.

And I said, "That's a big no-no for me."

- [Christine] Oh, oh.

- So, I just wanted to really formulate my own identity.

So that's really where it started from just, you know, being able to try to make my own clothing so that I can just be an individual.

- So basically you started with mix and match and then-- - Yes.

- And then you started moving into, well, I can do that and-- - Yes.

- What is the process for designing fashions?

I mean, how do you know what styles are coming up or what's the in thing or what's the new color that they're talking about?

The color palette, that sort of thing.

- Yes.

So as a fashion designer, I believe that it is important to really just express yourself individually.

I don't follow the trends, I like to set the trends.

That's something that my father always taught me is to be a leader, not a follower.

In fashion you always have these fast fashions, you know, trends always come and go, they're always evolving.

So I really like to create pieces that are gonna be timeless.

You can wear from time to time for generations to come.

As far as, you know, color palettes and stuff, I get inspired by, you know, the places I travel, the people I meet and stuff like that.

So it's just a form of identity for me as far as what I can create, really just letting your voice be known as a designer.

- And then, well, there's a whole... First of all, you have to conceptualize what you're gonna do and you definitely have your own style.

It's not the Prairie look or, you know, any of those kinds of things.

(Alexander laughs) Yours is a little bit more classic lines, correct?

- Yes.

So I would describe my style as a little bit of edgy chic styles, lots of the glitz and the glamor is definitely my style, as you can see from behind me.

- Well, I can see what you have on right now.

I mean, it's the middle of the day and here you are all sparkly and blingy, but do you like to add more bling to everything you do or do you tamper it down?

- I really like to just celebrate life in general.

That's always how I've been as a little girl, just...

I love to dress up.

So I really like to just add bling and everything.

Some of my styles are a little, it has a balance of things.

So you'll get like some glitz and gland, but a little bit more toned down look, but for the majority of it, it's just celebrating like, you know, elegance, if you will.

- And so you pick out all of the fabric.

Now, when you put something on your mannequin and you're moving it around and everything, are there times when you go, "No, that's just not good."

- Oh yes, definitely.

There are a lot of times where I go like that.

So first part of the process is I'll sketch out a design and how I want that effect to go.

And then I usually take my mannequin and then I'm usually draping the fabric on the mannequin just to kind of see how it will lay against the body.

There are times where I'm like, "No, this doesn't work right," so then I'll switch it around.

And of course there are happy mistakes where you don't intend to make something a certain way, but it ends out working well in your favor.

So I have a lot of moments like that and it works.

- See, I love those kind of moments too.

It's like, "Well, that wasn't exactly where I was going, but hey, it's all good."

- (laughs) Yeah.

- And you said that you had a mentor early on and who was that?

- Yes, so I joined American Sewing Guild back in 2012.

Her name was Maryanne Def.

She since then passed away, but she was a motivating source in my life to really help perfect my sewing skills.

And she would just work with me countless of hours, you know, like after her work hours to really help perfect my sewing skills.

And she was also there when I did my first little mini fashion show.

So that was a blast.

- Yeah, and so you've done some fashion shows and you've even had models on the runway, tell me about runways.

- Yes.

- I guess, plural, you need to tell me about that.

- Yes.

So the runway is a whole different experience, you know, being from the background and the rush of it.

There's like hundreds of models in the background.

It's just a complete rush.

It's always fun though, from dressing the models to picking out looks for each and everyone to the lineup, picking the music out.

I just always like to remind my model to just have fun, just loosen up, you know, nobody's perfect or anything like that.

Just try to have fun and stuff like that.

It's really fun when you just do it back there.

It's stressful at sometimes, but I love it.

- Right, so you're back in the dressing room and you're putting everything together.

Now, are you pinning a lot of stuff extra for the models, you know, just to make it work, or is it the finished product or what is it?

- Yeah, so this is the finished product.

We usually have a fitting like a few weeks before the show and usually try to get all the fixing done there to get it perfected to your look.

And then the day of the show, everything is up to par and running.

Now, if there's a chance that you could have like a wardrobe malfunction.

- [Christine] Malfunction.

- So always make sure.

Yes, that's crazy.

So I always have a little sewing kit on hand in case, you know, like a zipper pops or a thread or something I need to cut.

So I just do a quick fix really fast, but for the most part, everything is done.

- And you've been doing this now as Alexandria Dianna for how many years?

- So since 2017.

- [Christine] All right.

- Yes.

- Good.

And it's just crazy.

So your first rendition, you actually saw yourself then, correct?

And add all of the extras.

- Yes.

- And how do you go about picking out the fabric?

And especially now we have this whole supply chain, everything.

How difficult is it to get certain fabrics that you definitely want?

Or do you have an inside track on that?

- So I usually try to work ahead of the schedule.

I usually try to make sure I have a lot on hand.

For me during the pandemic, it was very hard to get certain fabrics, especially since I sourced fabrics from like New York and stuff like that.

It was a huge shortage with that.

So I had to kind of dig into what I had on hand and just kind of go from there.

But I have a few manage factors that I work with also who have a reserve of different things like that.

When I go shopping for fabrics, I usually go to New York, the bigger cities that have a wider selection to kind of see which fabric that I'd like to pick out.

- Is there a certain fabric that you like to work with the most or, you know, I mean a knit or... Well, I don't know, I'm drawing a blank right now.

My mom sewed all the time, but... And all I knew is the first time I ever went to buy clothes, I'm going, "Oh my gosh, it's that expensive."

'Cause my mom made everything for me.

So is there a certain kind of fabric that you prefer?

- I really like really lux fabrics.

I work with like the velvets, the chiffons, you know, sometimes the sequin fabric, but sometimes that can be tricky also because the first time I sewed with sequin fabric when I was first starting, it actually popped to hit me in the eye during a fashion show.

So I just have to wear my goggles when I have that.

But mainly it's just like the velvets and the chiffons, sometimes the silks that I like to work with.

- Again, the elegant line.

And then-- - [Alexander] Yes.

- Now your studio, you built a studio in your home, and you're in Virginia, where in Virginia?

- Yes, so Massanutten, Virginia.

- All right, and then you built the studio, so you go downstairs and that's your workplace?

- Oh yes, it's my happy place, yes-- - How many hours do you spend a day creating things or is it every day?

- Pretty much every day, you know, like six to eight hours.

And first and foremost, I'm a mom, I have four kids also.

So I try to really just split my time apart, you know, being a mom and stuff like that.

You know, I travel for fashion shows a lot and then I come down here and work so it's between like six to eight hours.

And as far as the dress, it depends on how intricate the details are.

Like if it's hand beating or hand sewing, like an applicant on there or fringe, or sequence that may take a little bit of time, like a few days process.

- Do you just do one of a kind or do you get them into the market and then you can sell more or what is that whole process?

- So I have two lines within my brand.

So I have my Alexandria Dianna Signature Collection, which features my one of a kind garments that I have.

And they're the more intricate detailed garments.

They're more like you will not be able to find those anywhere else.

Like, no, you won't have a episode of who wore it best for that section.

And then I have my ready-to-wear garments and that's more mainstream, more quantities of that, that I have.

- And who manufactures that?

Is there a place in Virginia that does that or you have to send those things to New York, or... You know, I mean, I'm clueless.

It's in the store.

- Yes, that's right.

- That's all I know.

(Alexander laughs) - So I do have a manage factor in New York that I am working with to help kind of manage factors, those other pieces, ready-to-wear pieces, yes.

- How difficult was it to find these people and line yourself up and kind of move forward?

- So it's all about connection.

You know, whoever you know, I had a few business people that I kind of met and they kind of partner with me with some people in New York that I met.

And that's how we kind of got the process rolling as far as manage factoring and stuff like that.

So it worked out really good.

- You know, and is it right place, right time, and all of that networking too?

- [Alexandria] Oh yes, definitely the networking.

- What do you think is the most fun about what you're doing?

Do you like getting into the detail or what is the most fun for you and what's the most challenging for you?

- So I really like the whole design process.

I really like adding the details to it.

I think that makes it more fun for me because I can spend hours like hand-beading or adding the little details.

It just helps me to make the people who wear my garments feel more elegant.

So I really love that process.

It's timely, it takes time, but I put passion into every piece that I create.

If I would say the most thing that I...

The challenging thing that I do not like the most is probably the sketching part of it because I get so excited, I wanna get my hands sewing really quickly, I wanna get into sewing really fast.

So that's why I don't really like the drawing really fast.

- Well, how long does it take to create just one beautiful, elegant signature design?

- If I count in the details and stuff, I would say between like six to seven hours, yeah.

- That's all?

That seems like nothing to me.

Well, over your right shoulder, what do we have behind us over your right shoulder?

- Okay, so here.

- [Christine] The back of your hair looks fine.

Yeah, what is that?

(Alexandria laughs) - Okay, so this is a piece I actually showed in DC Fashion Week in February.

This is a velvet garment.

It is a two-piece actually with French details.

It is hand beaded, sequin details on here, and it has a little train in the front and it's a two-piece garment.

It has a zipper in the back.

So this is more of like my fun little pieces that I have here.

More like a edgy chic vibe that I was going for with this.

- [Christine] Right.

- And in conjunction with like "The Great Gatsby."

So it was more of an elevation of that in a modern century.

- What do your kids think about what you do?

- They get excited.

I actually have my five-year-old who is very interested.

She's like, "Mommy, I wanna be a fashion designer like you."

So I started her off in the process of learning how to sketch and, you know, go through the process of picking out your fabric and telling her how different fabric operates on the body.

So she's thrilled about that.

- Does she sketch also?

- She does, yes.

She loves it.

- And does she give you any inspiration when she's putting a little something together at age five?

I mean, does that help you go, "Oh yeah, a light bulb just came on."

- Yes, so my kids are very active with that.

I have three girls and one son.

He's not old enough to gimme fashion advice right now, but my five-year-old she'll kind of like say, "Well, what should we name this one?"

Or she'll ask me if she can name the names of the garments.

I'm like, okay, sure.

You know, I haven't thought about that yet, but why not?

She'll help me name it or my teenager, she's 14 and she'll just tell me, "Oh, well, that's in," and she'll tell me what styles look great, so for her generation.

- Well, and those are some major critics that you have, you know?

- Oh yes.

- Living under your roof.

- And do they help you with all, do they help you with any of the hand-beading that you do?

I mean, that's labor intensive.

- Oh yes.

As of the moment, no, but I can see my five-year-old starting to get towards that point sometime.

- All right.

Now, what are you working on in the mannequin over your left shoulder then?

What's that going on?

- Now, this is another piece that was from DC Fashion Week.

This is a low V-cut dress with sequin details and fringe at the bottom, that also was at DC Fashion Week.

I have... Actually, this is getting ready to be sold, a lady's gonna be picking this up actually soon, but this is just like a set with that.

So you can either have a dress or your two piece right here.

- That's all hand beaded at the bottom there?

- [Alexander] Yes.

- [Christine] That's incredible, how long did that take?

- So that was a little bit more.

That took about 12 hours for that one.

So it was a few days process of splitting it up.

- And are you watching television while you're doing all that or you're just strictly concentrating on your masterpiece?

- Oh, no.

I'm actually watching either TV or listening to music to help the time pass by.

- [Christine] All right, good.

- That helps a lot.

- Good for you.

Well, all right, you have a show coming up.

So DC Fashion Week and you've had runway, what?

Runway models in New York City, correct too, right?

- Yes.

- What's the most exciting about that or what else do you have coming up?

- So I have a fashion show coming up in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

It's called a Mom Prom.

It's a nonprofit event on behalf of (indistinct), and I'm gonna be showing 15-piece collection there.

So I'm working on that.

And I also did New York Fashion Week and DC Fashion Week.

Every show is different, they're all fun, just getting excited about it and getting able to meet a lot of models and make those connections that are gonna be worthwhile.

So I just, I really love that about the whole process.

- Do you have certain models that you work with or are they just randomly handed over to you and say, "Here, she's gonna model this garment for you."

How does that work?

- Yes.

So each show I meet different models for the most part, but I do have a group of models that I would like take with me to certain shows.

Like those are my preferred models that I usually work with all the time.

And I would just take them along with me for certain shows.

- Do you do any modeling yourself?

- No, not yet (laughs).

- Not yet?

After having-- - Maybe in the future.

- After having four kids, maybe, you know, you're still trying to work on that mom prom body, right?

All right now, you had, from what I understand, the sale of your Alexandria Dianna brand, a certain portion of those sales is given to the neonatal intensive care unit where you live.

Tell me why.

- So my five-year-old daughter, she was born at 28 weeks.

And that was a surprise that she came super early.

During that time, it was a really emotional toll on me.

I've never been in a NICU before, and that was just really close to my heart.

I met a lot of amazing nurses and I remember one time that my daughter, there were a shortage...

There was a shortage for blankets actually to go on the isolette.

And I was like, well, you know, maybe I can just sew an isolette like this.

And the nurses were like, "No, you can't sew that."

I said, "Yes, I can."

So I actually brought a blanket, I hand sewed a blanket, I challenged myself and I made a blanket in there.

And then they were just asking me to make blankets for all the babies in the NICU.

And since then I joined the PFAC team, which is the Parental Family Advisor Council at University of Virginia Hospital.

And I just started to give back because just seeing those babies, those innocent babies in there with the medical conditions, it just really drew to my heart to really be able to get back and help a family in need, whether that is, you know, helping with hotel stays, gas, or groceries.

So the little headbands that I make or the hats, a percentage of that gets sold, and I donate that back to help the families in the NICU.

- Well, that's marvelous because it's a give and take and everybody wins.

So, bucket list, what do you wanna do yet with your life and with your designs and where do you go from here?

- Yes, so I definitely see myself offering more of a variety in my line, tapping into maybe men's wear fashion and plus-size fashion.

I wanna be able to have every woman feel beautiful and confident in the pieces that she wears, especially Alexandria Dianna brand.

So that's really important to me.

And also sustainability is very important.

So I wanna be able to offer more of a sustainable approach when it comes to fashion.

Like I said before, there's a lot of fast fashion that happens in the fashion industry, so I wanna kind of help to eliminate that by really sourcing pieces that are, you know, maybe made in the U.S. or there are appropriate work laws and different cultures that are sourced from.

- Right, so everything is done in the U.S?

Your whole process is here?

- Yes, currently, yes.

- And fabrics from the United States too, some manufacturers here?

- Yes.

- Well, you're kind of an inspiration.

And you're how old?

Excuse me, a woman should never, a lady should never ask another lady, but you're doing okay, right?

You're-- - It's okay.

Yes.

- You're... And you still have your sibling.

I know one brother lives here for sure.

Any of your others live here in Peoria?

- No, they do not, they're in Virginia also.

- All right, do you get back here often?

- I do, yes.

I was there about maybe two years ago, yes.

- All right, well, maybe I get to meet you next time you come to town, like in person-- - Yes.

- Rather than Zoom.

If someone wants to order something from you or will you design something for a specific person, if they contact you?

- As of right now, they can utilize my website at alexandriaDianna.com.

- [Christine] And Dianna has two Ns?

- Yes, two Ns.

- [Christine] Okay.

- And then they can also follow me on my Instagram at Alexandria_Dianna, again, with two n's.

So if they want something more custom, it's of more the signature collection.

I haven't really focused on, you know, designing just for one person yet, but I am open to that.

So you can just send me like an email on my website, a message and they'll be able to contact me as far as the custom piece.

- Well, you're something else, I gotta say.

And it's so nice to meet you and see all that you're doing and making a name for yourself.

And so do you think... What do you think is next then?

Just immediately next?

- I definitely am booked for a lot of other fashion shows.

I see myself going into a store next, so stay tuned (laughs).

- We will definitely stay tuned.

Well, you're an inspiration.

You do your own thing.

You don't just get stuck in the the trends, right?

Which is kind of fun and-- - [Alexandria] Right.

- And you started that before your teenage years.

- Yes.

- Yeah, but do they...

I mean, do you get messages because you're in the industry, do you say, oh, well, you know, avocado green is the big color this year and you know, so many people don't look good in avocado green, but so you don't even bother with that.

- Right.

Now, there is like, Pantone, they usually have a color that comes out like a spring color or different color season for the fashion industry.

And a lot of designers usually follow that.

I've looked at that occasionally sometimes, but again, I just set my own trends and I go from there, like what I think is gonna be fitting for my clientele base.

- Good for you.

Thank you so much for what you do, so nice to meet you via Zoom.

Well, I hope we get to see you again in person.

Alexandria Maclin-Chaudhuri, did I say it right?

Okay.

- Yeah.

- So you have a really beautiful name.

- Thank you.

- Thanks so much for joining us.

I hope our audience enjoyed meeting you and hearing your story.

And again, thank you for joining us.

Hold happiness.

(gentle upbeat music)