About
I graduated from Addis Ababa University, School of Commerce with a BA in Economics. I’ve been working on my clothing brand called Alexander Hizikias professionally since 2017. I never had to go to school for fashion or design. I taught my self & capitalized on my past interests for aesthetics to make the brand possible. Most of all, I always embraced the odd things in style. Just being able to come up with something I would like to wear can be a source of inspiration. I’ve seen that no one person wants to look the same. The solution came in the form of, “why not?” Once I realized that it was a matter of trying, I went through building the foundation
Creative Process
My creative process come in the form of circumstances & aesthetics. The balance I try to incorporate in my life throughout the day drive me to think of different mediums. The clothes I make come from the colors that reflect my thoughts. Some come from an unorthodox color combinations I merely imagine. I don’t necessarily think about making the clothes. I just see possibilities & “what ifs.”
I wake up early every morning & loads of water. I will then meditate for 10 minutes. The habit of keeping the brain clean at all times keeps me away from writers block , in this case tunnel vision. I would surf on the internet to update myself for a little while & respond to my customers via email or social media.
After this point, everything else is spontaneous. I don’t like to put a lot of pressure on my self to do more or less. Everything happens in due time. The idea I may have had on Monday, maybe realized in the coming days or weeks. It keeps me clear from myopic euphoria. It’s like getting a more logical & rational view of my own random thoughts.
I wouldn’t have made all these possible without the smart partners I have at my disposal. They work day & night to execute my crazy ideas. And also my big brother, Nahom Michael, a creative director/designer at Crownz Global LLC, responsible for pioneering & showcasing handwoven Gabi made products for the US market, helps me in the creative & operational process of my undertakings
Hopes & Dreams
In the near future, I would like to expand the reach of the brand beyond borders. A sustainable local brand that can cloth my fellow Africans & global citizens across the world. We are here to prove a point. The point is that we are capable of so much more. We will try to take it as far as possible while still recognizing the inspirational aspects of it all. We have room to grow & road to pave. But we have to start somewhere.
Hustlin’
I don’t price products in view of my competitors. I price the products on the basis of the value I see the customers will get. It’s a subjective value-product relationship I breakdown from different angles & fair margins Art is always priceless for the artist..
Creative Ethiopia
The overall perception of Ethiopian made goods worked against what I was envisioning for the brand. Creativity faces a lot of obstacles in order to be attained. But that’s also called process if seen in a positive light. And this mindset came from my father. Enterprise development was the title of many years of discussions with him.
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