Alumna Axelina Hallstrom on The Business of Denim Program
Axelina Hallstrom graduates this quarter from The Business of Denim Program. She created a five piece denim collection, called Axel, which was displayed at the thesis presentations event held at the Hotel Indigo in March. We caught up with her to find out more about her experience in the program.
What are your career goals? I’d like to be a denim designer, technical designer or assistant designer in a young contemporary fashion company. FIDM really sets you up for the real world and immerses you in curriculum that is relevant to what you will do in your fashion career.
What went into your decision to apply to The Business of Denim Program? I love the denim industry because it just seems like one big family. Everyone knows everyone. It is awesome to be a part of this special group of people with a common appreciation for a fabric that unites the world. I wanted to apply for the denim program because I found myself constantly designing clothes that had some denim details worked in and I just thought I'd love to learn more about denim and all that it entails.
Tell us about your denim collection that you created in The Business of Denim Program: Axel was founded on the principle that all women should feel empowered and badass in whatever they wear. Axel offers unique denim pieces with fashion silhouettes. As a size inclusive brand, Axel strives to give its customers the best quality product for a reasonable price. Axel is a street style denim brand that isn’t afraid to stand out.
What are the advantages of studying denim in Los Angeles? Los Angeles is the denim capital of the United States and there is no better place to be than here if you are trying to have a successful career in denim. So many major denim brands are located in LA which makes being able to visit them so much easier, not to mention the access to interviews and getting a job.
Name some influential people in the denim industry that you've met through the FIDM denim program: I've met people like Shirley Zheng, the assistant to Adriano Goldschmied, who has connections through almost every denim company. As well as Damiano Dall'Anese who works in the LA showroom for Candiani Denim, one of the biggest denim mills. I've also met Eric Schrader who is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to vintage denim; he is the star of the documentary Blue Gold: American Jeans. These are just three of the many amazing denim industry professionals that we have been fortunate to meet in the program.
What was the best part of the denim program? The best part of the program was being able to travel to Amsterdam and Japan and visit so many global denim mills and companies. It is an unforgettable experience and it feels as if you are getting ten years of denim knowledge and experience compacted into two weeks. This program is truly like no other and it will give you the biggest appreciation for the denim industry. Denim is not just a fabric, it unites a world that is so different. There is so much to learn about denim and once you are in the program you'll understand why it's a billion dollar business.
Tell us something about the denim industry that not many people know: There are so many new and exciting technologies used to create amazing denim pieces and fades today. Some are so well developed, most people wouldn't even be able to tell that the denim pieces were made any different than the typical denim processes such as sanding, bleaching, grinding, etc.
Any advice for someone considering applying to The Business of Denim Program? Do it! It is an experience and education like no other. You will learn so much and it's never just sitting in a classroom—you constantly go on field trips to meet industry professionals and visit factories. Plus you’ll be challenged to create your own denim collection which is a treat in itself. Not to mention the traveling overseas. Because it is such a small program, you will also grow extremely close with your classmates and probably make four or five new best friends. I know I certainly did.
Categories: The Business of Denim
