A-lab Milano can be defined as art, prints, vogue, all made in Italy. It's the power of change that never leaves tradition behind; it's the coherence and recognisable style that is always new and iconic every time. Alessandro Biasi of A-lab Milano tells us his story and that of his brand in this exclusive interview.What motivated you to start and how did you enter the world of fashion? "I began playing around making sketches for a friend, who in that period was attending a fashion school. One of her teachers there, after seeing some of my drawings, wanted to meet me. I had never considered myself a ‘fashion lover’, but from that moment onwards thanks to her, I saw its pure and creative side, especially through the work of John Galliano and Alexander McQueen, in which I discovered many ties to the art world from which I came."When did you decide to take the big step and create your own brand? "I don’t know if there was a precise moment, it was all almost ‘natural’. The decision to start a label that reflected the woman I had in mind was more of a process. For the thesis of my degree I organised a working group, a creative collective, that worked in synergy to put together collections of unique items of which none was repeated. The atmosphere created was that of a contemporary artist’s workshop - a laboratory of ideas - and remains to be my greatest inspiration. After graduating I felt that this particular group of people had produced something much more than a case study for a thesis, and it thence became A-lab Milano. A-lab Milano I see as being first the platform through which I can express my visions, supported by other people who give me a constant confrontation, and secondly a fashion label."How would you define your style? "I believe the style of my collections to be both simple and complex at the same time. I like to think that every single garment, even the most basic, carries with it the concept of the entire collection. The other fundamental element is the colour. The colour is at the heart and is the starting point of every project; I cannot consider the colour palette anything less than a fundamental part of the creative phase. ."What are your inspirations from which you realise your collections? "For centuries, space has been the leading field for the advancement of technology and the intellect of humankind. It has been the definitive idea of the future, and the future is hope, the biggest resource that man has ever had. For this reason, through my work I always try to look ahead, referring also to the ideas that other disciplines have as they project their investigations into the future. However I also find inspiration in the everyday. Fashion has a close connection with people and their desires. My desire would be an intergalactic journey."Who do you design for? What is the A-lab Milano woman like? "The A-lab Milano woman grew and changed with me, not just following the trends but also representing the evolution of my research season after season. My first collections were more sculptural, whereas nowadays they are, in contrast, closer to the everyday wardrobe with the idea of a more ‘earthly’ woman in mind. This does not mean, however, that refinement, exclusivity and experimentation get forgotten."
