Meet Alex, a 2019 Dress designer
“I think when we show up for ourselves in getting ready, when we’re not afraid to have fun and be seen with what we wear, that the rest of our lives follow suit.”
Alex Michael May is a model, speaker, writer, content creator and body/self love activist in Los Angeles, CA. We knew when we invited her to design a dress for us that it would mirror her creative zest for life. Here’s our interview with Alex, designer of “The Alex” dress launching this September.
Why did you design your dress the way you did?
To me, clothing can be the ultimate ice breaker. It's such an easy way to start a conversation with someone. It can be your calling card. This dress has a little something up its sleeve if you will—or I guess the sleeve IS the thing here! I think when we show up for ourselves in getting ready, when we're not afraid to have fun and be seen with what we wear, that the rest of our lives follow suit. My idea for this dress was to encourage the person wearing it to add a little flair to their lives and have some fun. If they get a compliment (or come on, let's be real, WHEN) they get to tell the story of what this dress symbolizes and share the amazing message of Dressember.
Why does Dressember’s mission of a world without slavery resonate with you?
We take for granted our freedom and autonomy every day. Yet we feel enslaved to any number of things—societal standards, our own trauma and pain, toxic relationships. We get this choice, we get this freedom, and I think it's easy to forget that. If we can pull ourselves out of our heads and situations to be a voice for others that don't have our privilege we can be so strong together and create this world.
What is something you’re proud of right now?
I've had an amazing year of travel, major campaigns (shot my first commercial for a French car company and modeled for Nike twice! Pinch me!) But what i'm most proud of is that I've been focusing a lot on my personal life after years of making my career my main focus, and that feels really good to me right now. I've been investing in myself in so many ways and I can't wait to infuse my work and content with all I've learned along the way. This partnership has also been the culmination of some of my wildest dreams — getting to design my first piece of clothing and have it be sustainable, conscious and for a good cause! Talk about the cherry on top of an impactful year.
Anything else you’d like to share with us?
Just how beautiful you all are. I've been a part of this community for several years, and just found that the people involved are so special, others-minded and joyous. It's amazing what we can do when we band together for good.
Connect with Alex
You can find Alex on instagram at @alexmichaelmay, on her youtube channel and on her website at alexmichaelmay.com
Sketch by Samantha Pilon