Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Name: Lesleigh Jermanus.
Occupation: Co-Founder and Creative Director at Alémais.
Instagram: @alemais.official
Hometown: Queensland, Australia.
Studio Location: Sydney, Australia.
Describe what you make: I make ready-to-wear womenswear and accessories imbued with artistry, texture, and craft. Our collections are born from intuition, collaboration, memories, and the signs that lead us here. We bring together creatives from around the world—drawing inspiration from within and translating our energy into a shared visual language, an exchange between many hearts and hands.
There’s a mystery to the creative process, in the unknowing that exists between so many creatives. We wonder, experiment, share stories, and narrate them through what we make. For us, it’s the alchemy of creativity, an exchange of energy between what we take with us, and what we leave behind, somehow leading us to exactly where we’re meant to be.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: Our very first collection. That brave first step set everything in motion—the brand, the community, the creative collaborations, and the stories we’ve shared along the way. It has also allowed us to create impact beyond the clothes themselves, including the Alémais Forest Project, which will see 37,500 trees established across 12 hectares. It’s incredible to think that something that began with a collection has grown into a community and a project that we hope will leave a lasting mark well beyond our collections.
Describe the problem your work solves: I don’t see our work as solving a problem as much as building connection and bringing communities together. It creates meaningful economic opportunities for our artisans, suppliers, and their families, helping sustain the communities and skills behind our products. At the same time, we believe in the value of bringing craft and art into everyday life. There is something powerful about making and experiencing things with care—the joy, curiosity, and emotion that creativity can bring. Our work creates an exchange between the people who make it and the people who wear it, bringing color, beauty, and a sense of joy into the everyday.
Share the project you are working on now: We’re designing our Pre-Fall collection, which has a distinctly high-summer feeling. While it’s cold in Sydney, creatively we’re somewhere else, imagining a place where the temperatures are high, the sun is relentless and we’re on holiday time. Rock jumping, eating watermelon, salty skin, and long days in the sun. We’re designing for that feeling of escape.
What you absolutely have to have in your studio: Good vibes only, and an impeccably styled studio. I’ve spent too many years working in sterile, white-walled, fluorescent-lit offices. We worked with our friends at YSG Studio to create an interior that makes everyone who walks through the door feel instantly happy. Lots of natural light is essential, as are plenty of snacks, especially Loco Love chocolates and fresh fruit. We’re considering a ping pong table to help combat the afternoon slump.
What you do when you’re not working: I like to travel as far and wide and as often as possible to continue expanding my perspectives. I’m always working in my mind, but I’ve been trying to focus on being more present with the people around me. Mostly, I fill spare time with my partner, who makes me laugh, my son who keeps me active, friends who light up the world and my family who keep me grounded. And I’d love more time to read read read!
Sources of creative envy (dead or alive): Peggy Guggenheim. Her iconic venetian sunglasses, the eccentric jewellery commissioned from artists she championed, she was unwavering in her love for the arts and created an enduring world. Frida Kahlo, for her defiant energy and, above all, resilience. She never gave up and remained fiercely true to what she believed in. Antoni Gaudi—after recently visiting Barcelona, my heart is still beating in the Sagrada Familia. A lifetime devoted to creativity is incredibly inspiring. Salvador Dali, for his ability to create an entirely singular visual world. I’m always drawn to people who have the courage to see things differently. Patti Smith, for her fearless creativity and refusal to conform.
The distraction you want to eliminate: The Phone—it is a blessing and a curse.
Concrete or marble? Marble.
High-Rise Or Townhouse? Townhouse.
Remember or Forget? Remember, I’m a sentimental.
Aliens or Ghosts? Aliens.
Dark Or Light? Light always.
