Sam Desmond
Inspired by bold, beautiful, and boisterous women, Alexandra Hallock is an artist and businesswoman who is determined to bring the ferocity of her characters to her clients.
“I’m just drawn to and compelled by beautiful faces,” said Alexandra Hallock, the bubbly and engaging force behind Alldrawn, a boutique fashion house that creates one-of-a-kind statement pieces in mid-century and noir-inspired aesthetics.
Taking vintage pocketbooks. Meticulously cleaned and sanitized, Hallock creates a vision of a heroine or femme fatale to grace the bag and further elevate the holder.
Hailing from the Fashion Institute of Technology as her alma mater, Hallock majored in fashion design and learned the principles of style and the symbiotic relationship of the model, muse, and merchandise.
“I’m actually third-generation FIT,” said Hallock. “My grandmother studied fashion design and my father studied fine arts.”
Particularly drawn to fashion illustration, where an emphasis is placed on poses, Hallock honed her talents to perfect interesting static images that would be full of movement and backstory, despite a 2-D medium.
As a child, Hallock was a fan of paper dolls and the ubiquitous generational stamp of Polly Pocket that allowed a type of costume designing for her.
“I love vintage clothing and accessories, and I incorporate a lot of that into the images I work with, but put a modern, feminist take on it,” said Hallock, adding, “like I’ll take a perfect, staid 1960s housewife, but I’ll give her more dominion over male control like she’s in charge.”
An important note in Hallock’s design is to separate art from culture, “My message is to empower women with their own belief in themselves; it isn’t about acting or emulating a certain way of womanhood, but the right one for you,” said Hallock.
The women of Hallock’s repertory are varied in body types, race and eras, displaying a universal tone and acceptance in her representation of the “confident woman who is kick-[expletive].”
Early in her designs, Hallock took inspiration from vintage horror films, and her “Bride of Frankenstein” or Morticia Addams work can be found in multiple iterations, but also more nuanced and contemporary art that features Kiernan Shipka as Sabrina Spellman donning her shock-white hair.
“At one point, I felt stifled by the Halloween-inspired work, because it was all I did. It felt like a mask,” said Hallock.
Carefully weaving her old style with her new subject matter, Hallock was able to carry over her existing fan base and develop a new one.
She opted to continue to the vintage look of her characters, but gave them a story beyond the one that was already told in cinema or television.
“There’s someone for everyone,” said Hallock. “There’s a story behind the eyes of each character, even if sometimes those eyes are only eye shadow and a dot.”
Most recently, Hallock has been working on an astrology series, which has been quite the feat to incorporate and reflect on the variables of each sign.
“I really want people to see the bag and connect with it with their astrological sign, since that is something deeply personal and emotional,” said Hallock.
Doing art shows all over Long Island and in New York City, Hallock is a seasoned artist who has been able to gather what her patrons look for in her pieces, and built a successful business by turning out consistent, quality work for her fans to fawn after.
Her Instagram, often shot in her studio, features a wide range of artwork as well as some behind-the-scenes moments of her creative process.
“Transitioning to TikTok was a huge change for me, but one that’s been extremely helpful in growing my brand,” said Hallock.
Influencers have contacted Hallock to collaborate with the Alldrawn brand, as her unique pieces lend themselves to engaging content.
Nominated by her mother, Hallock credits her mom with fostering and nurturing her creative ability throughout her childhood, and now as a business owner.
“My mom has always been my biggest supporter and inspiration. She constantly let me fully express myself with art, decor and fashion. When I started my journey into the fashion world, she made sure I had every opportunity I could get. She helped me sew, enrolled me in fashion classes, and let me run wild in AC Moore. She believed in me before I ever believed in my art. She has been a huge source of inspiration to me. I can’t thank her enough for having such a great taste in fashion… and for not killing me for stealing it all,” said Hallock.
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