We recently connected with Jordan Lewis and have shared our conversation below.

Jordan, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Currently doing this interview from a coffee shop in the Upper East side of Manhattan. I moved from Houston to NYC yesterday— a move that made me miss the deadline for this interview nearly twice.

Only two weeks ago, I decided to leave my beloved Houston and blindly follow my fashion dreams in the city I fell in love with when I was 13 years old, but was always too scared to live in. The biggest risk of my life. It came with so many emotions. Every. single. day. for the past two weeks I have been trying to balance crippling anxiety (will I be okay all alone in NEW YORK CITY?) and euphoric hopefulness about everything I knew this city had to offer.

My dad and I drove a huge moving truck for 29 hours across the U.S. with no prolonged stops. With every hour we got closer, I felt the anxiety fading a bit. But when I opened the door of my first NYC apartment, I knew that everything I’d been hoping and PRAYING for was real. I love my place, and I already have so many NYC friends eager to welcome me to the city. I can’t wait to dive headfirst into fall fashion in NYC!

Jordan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have loved fashion since I was a child, following in my mother’s footsteps. I became a certified shopper long before fast fashion began, and learned to make clothes largely by reinventing my mother’s old designer clothing into my own unique pieces. I took an online sewing course to teach me basics before pursuing Fashion Design classes. I examined techniques used by classic American designers when reconstructing my mother’s old pieces. I want people to know that my attention to detail and quality comes from years of studying clothing, and is expressed in the way I design clothes for my brand. I’m proud of the fact that J. Alexandra Designs is not another trend-chasing, brand meant to produce a quick profit, but a brand for the upcoming generation of fashionistas. I want my pieces to be staples with which to build a lifelong wardrobe.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think it’s important for non-creatives to realize that creating is our way of expressing ourselves. For me, the clothes I make for myself tell as much about me as any first date conversation. If you want to get to know a creative, listen to our art— it’s our way of communicating.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I’ve mentioned this book before, but The Conscious Closet by Elizabeth Cline has been hugely developmental for me in my conception of my brand. In the book, Cline describes the current state of the fashion industry, shines light on how wasteful it is, and how to build a wardrobe that works for your body, your wallet, and the planet. I think entrepreneurial-minded people often are regarded as money hungry capitalists, but that’s not what J. Alexandra Designs is about. This book provided early insights on the fashion world that validated my beliefs in creating a purposeful brand.

Contact Info:

• Website: jalexandradesigns.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/jalexandradesigns
• Other: tiktok.com/jalexandradesigns

Image Credits
Parth Patel for the photo with 4 women in denim