Styling for the BAFTAs
Styling Alicia Agneson, star of ‘Vikings’, for the BAFTAs in bicycle inner tubes and a Victorian petticoat was an incredible experience.
Styling Alicia Agneson
Alicia, star of History Channel’s ‘Vikings’, made a commitment two years ago to wear only vintage and second hand clothes and buy nothing new.
Becoming her stylist has been a meeting of fashion-obsessed, planet-loving minds. We scour vintage fairs, tiny second hand shops and pre-loved websites looking for clothes full of potential, before styling and converting them into incredible ‘new’ pieces. The excitement of discovering and adding to the story of each item of clothing is what fashion is all about for me.
We’ve done premiers, we’ve done launches and now it’s the BAFTAs. I wanted Alicia to walk the sustainable walk and show that conscious couture can truly own the red carpet. I wanted to create a look that was fiercely feminine, expressing authenticity, strength and an inner belief.
Forty-eight hours before the BAFTA’s Frida Martinsson, an incredible Swedish designer, and I got together with Alicia to bring my vision to life. Frida is the ultimate sustainable fashion designer – she makes her breathtaking collections out of nothing but old bicycle inner tubes. Her eye for detail, style and originality is exceptional – I knew together we could create a winning BAFTA outfit.
The outfit
The skirt is a vintage silk Victorian petticoat (c1850) in immaculate condition with intricate patterns sewn into the wadding to give it structure. Underneath we added tulle to create and hold the ‘princess’ shape.
Frida made the top entirely out of old bicycle inner tubes, creating the most stunning shape, fit and fluid movement. The juxtaposition of the pretty, structured vintage skirt with Frida’s modern, edgy design was perfect for the red carpet. Striking, fierce, feminine and sustainable. The dream!
Frida and the bicycle inner tubes
As we worked to create the dress, Frida shared her journey…
“It’s an emotional story for me. My mum passed away from breast cancer in 2014. When she died, I died with her, there was nothing left of me. I went so far into myself, I can’t even remember that part at all but six months later my half sister called me. “Frida, come over we’re going to play around with the old inner tubes from bicycles.”
I said no so many times she finally said “Ok Frida I’m coming to pick you up. You’re coming over.” I just went with it. I didn’t want to go. Nothing was fun at that point and I thought I was just going to be hanging around with people I didn’t know creating stuff I didn’t want to create.
But I got there and I saw this necklace she had made. I wanted to make one of my own so I started cutting out the pieces, putting them together and then I thought “Hey I see something else.” I pictured the thin body chain that belly dancers wear around their bodies and thought, “OK I’m going to make one of those.”
I put all the pieces together and the day after, when it was finished, I put it on and looked at myself in the mirror. I felt so strong wearing it. I’d taken something that should have been in the garbage and turned it into something that made me look and feel amazing.
I saw the future. I saw myself as a successful, happy, strong woman and I knew this was it. I knew that this was what I was going to do. There was no doubt in my mind. It’s crazy. It was so easy, but the path to it wasn’t.
I see my mum when I see someone getting excited about my designs. When I see a woman looking at herself in my dress and standing tall, I can see she loves herself. No one can ever do anything bad to her, she’s not going to take any shit, she knows her worth in the moment that she sees herself and that’s priceless.”
It was a total privilege to collaborate with Frida and create a look for Alicia that marches forward for sustainable fashion.
Bring on the next one…!
Follow Alicia to see more Converted Closet styling
Follow Frida to explore her designs
