New York, USA What: Clothing, Acc. | Women | Style: unique, edgy, arty, ethical | Category: Established Brand
ALICIA REINA is a contemporary ready-to-wear line designed and ethically produced in Brooklyn, New York for women seeking unique and enchanting pieces.
Drawing influences from athletic wear and couture, the collections express a fusion of refined feminism mixed with a masculine allure.
Elements comprised of color, texture, and volume balanced with a modern cut and fit intrinsic to traditional tailoring enhance a sense of romanticism and elegance when worn.
Each collection is developed with an emphasis on original prints and embroideries accentuating the silhouette and mood of the sophisticated and forever whimsical woman.
Alicia Reina graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Apparel Design. Upon graduation she obtained her Masters in Footwear Design from Polimoda in Florence, Italy.
Soon after she moved to New York City where she worked for various designers before launching ALICIA REINA.
Born in Puerto Rico and raised in the Boston area, her multicultural background and New York life style have influenced the soft, feminine, and timeless individuality of her designs
The relationship between color, anatomy, and nature is a main source.
I used to be into very elaborate fabric and prints with lots of frill but lately I have been working with basic colored fabric in the same way a painter works with a tube of paint.
So simple yet so many possibilities. All this communicated through application, thought, and execution really focusing more on the internal part of the process just as importantly as the external final result.
Hence why the last collection, Rhombus, was more hue and shape driven; using the contoures of the body as starting points for silhouettes.
I would say feminine with a modern twist.
I draw influences from athletic wear and couture sewing using color, texture, and volume balanced with a modern cut and fit intrinsic to traditional tailoring; to achieve a fusion of refined feminism mixed with a masculine allure.
I strive to create simple yet thoughtful pieces.
I really love the Cevian Blouse. Blouses are my favorite piece of clothing to wear and yellow is also my favorite colour!
I usually begin with the fabric and colors. Then I focus on the silhouette of the piece. I try to use the colors and fabric like a piece in a puzzle to bring the whole vision to life.
I make a lot of my initial samples and patterns myself which is uncommon today for most designers. Seeing that I have a strong understanding of the technicalities of dress making I like to experiment with the constructions of my pieces.
My use of color and geometry in the cut of each garment subtly accentuates my love of shapes and anatomy.
Rhombus is a play on childhood building blocks. Derived from the simple quadrilateral whose four sides all have the same length, Rhombus explores the use of symmetry in the various cuts and construction of each piece.
The elementary color palette reflects the eye’s sensitivity of relating color to shape, thus creating and merging a visual relationship between two different dimensions.
I would be an anthropologist. I love culture, travel and observing. I am into the psychology into understanding why we do the things we do; in a way not overthinking things in general but instead being a balanced observer and a participant in my own and other peoples lives.
I would love to spend time living within cultures totally unknown to me gaining a deeper knowledge in the ways of the world. Diversity in the human existence is such a beautiful thing; an existential way of seeing that there is more than one way of doing things and believing.
As much as I would love to say conquering the day…I really love bed time. I love that moment of relief when the day is complete and I am grateful to have lived yet another day.