Enter the Delectable Earth Shudder. Alix Higgins had been dreaming of a wild, magical forest this season, blurring the lines of reality, doing what he does best. Resort '24 features the evolution of his linear, hypnotic prints, with long skirts swishing and cropped tops fitted. We spoke to the Austrlian designer before the show to find out what he'd been watching prior to creating the show, representation and of course, music:

What was inspiring you when you were designing this collection?

"I was initially inspired by a rewatch of Lars Von Trier’s Dogville and Antichrist, as well as A Midsummer Nights Dream. Thinking about a sort of magical forest was the beginning of this collection, and the blurriness of reality."

What was the catalyst from the inspiration? What really made the leap from the mood board into the collection?

"The textiles are always an important leap to take for me, and this years recoloured and hyperreal fur prints, and the spray painted crocodile skins on shiny nylon lycra really pushed the story forward. Of this future forest populated with wild, feral animals. A new type of person."

What emotions and thoughts from you are imbued in these pieces?

"This collection distills my emotional volatility over the last little while into a rather wild, hard and intense collection. It’s a sort of scream."

How is the DNA of the brand evolving?

"It’s always something I’m considering, how can this be Alix Higgins, and what is next and possible within that world? This collection there is less digital print, more solid colour, screenprinting, and simple pieces that I feel confident communicate the same sense of future facing freedom that my brand has always heralded. At the same time evolving the cast of people with the help of Casting Director Chloe Corkran furthers the story."

Recycling, repurposing, renewal. These are all important things in the world of 10. How do these apply to your work?

"This season is the first time I have approached upcycling from a real production perspective. There are a few pieces in the collection made / remade from old t-shirts and polo shirts or suiting, that is printed with poetry from the collection and recut and redraped. It is about taking these pieces and giving them new life, also trying to minimise my impact as a designer by starting with pre-existing materials rather than creating new demand. The most important thing for me is that these pieces aren’t merely showpieces made for the runway, which go on to be more landfill…. But actual garments people will be able to buy and integrate into their wardrobes."

Who would be your bullseye buyer? Who would you love to sell to (which stores)?

"The Broken Arm, Le Bon Marche, Chinatown Country Club, LNCC, SSENSE, Nolm, Dover Street Market."

Who would you love to see wearing it? Which look would they be wearing?

"Florence Welch in the grey fur coat."

Into the future: which piece would you hope to be the ultimate Alix Higgins collector’s item.

"The fur coats, and of course the crocodile prints which will be unique to this season."

There are brilliant people to collaborate with Australia. Who has been part of your world/journey/team with this collection? Mentors, stylists, hair, makeup etc…

"Joan Banoit is my close friend and musical collaborator. I’d like to give him the title of Music Director at The Alix Higgins Company. He has amazing taste and understands me more than anyone. His soundtrack for the show is an original composition called River Nessus. I’m so lucky to have him working on the show, it really builds a new atmosphere around the collection and communicates so clearly our emotions.  Chloe Corkran is a close friend and creative consultant, who has come on in the role of Casting Director but her input has been so much more than that, in this season and previously. She is a sort of muse and makes me laugh every meeting. And of course Charlotte Agnew, who styles the show and brings such a fresh and bright perspective. This year excitingly we have Daniel Jianing from USFIN doing the hair, using products by O&M, to help create the kind of chic and feral character walking through this wild forest."

What’s important to you aside from fashion? How would you like to use your platform?

"Queer representation is important to me. There’s such a reductive, common overrepresentation of queer people as just rainbow flag emblazoned smiling faces. It makes me mad not to see any complexity around this in mainstream media and in fashion as well, especially in Australia. The queer people I know don’t dress like that and neither do I.

Other than that, my band PATAMON is something I will be focusing on immediately after fashion week. Music making is a nice antidote to fashion making because the output is less physical."

What is the soundtrack to this collection?

"The soundtrack is the previously mentioned River Nessus by Joan Banoit, which will be released on SoundCloud on the morning of the show. Other than that I’ve been listening to heaps of Oklou and Weyes Blood lately."

Photographed backstage by Joel Lumbroso and Aidan Oh.

alixhiggins.com