Why Designer Alectra Rothschild Puts Trans People on Pedestals — Literally

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The morning I speak to Danish fashion designer Alectra Rothschild, New York Fashion Week is in full swing. This season, several familiar faces continued the industry’s decades-long push for increased diversity on runways: At Collina Strada, models of various ages playfully threw chunks of grass at each other, while Willy Chavarria’s presentation subverted the idea of a “menswear” collection, presenting styles unbound by traditional expectations. Elsewhere, however, the comeback of Y2k fashion coincided with a return of the era’s obsession with thin bodies.

“It makes me so furious,” says Rothschild, one of a new generation of young designers creating exhilarating work outside fashion’s “boom and bust” cycle. “It feels like we had body diversity for one season.”

Based in Copenhagen, Rothschild is known for her collections that luxuriate in “decadent glamor” and center queer and trans people. Through her label Masculina, Rothschild’s most recent show, YOU ARE WASTED HERE, YOU ARE A STAR, almost exclusively featured members of her community —“girlies, dolls, and Ken dolls,” as she describes them — soaring above an adoring audience below. “I wanted to have all the trans people on a pedestal,” she says. “I think that’s what we deserve.”

When we speak, Rothschild is nestled in a garden outside her Copenhagen home. Over the past three years, she’s eschewed the cream-colored palette and “hygge” expectations of the Danish capital. Instead, her shows are a cornucopia of latex, satin, and swirling purple eyeshadow, traits that spring naturally from Rothschild’s stint as a junior designer at Mugler, in Paris. Her most recent collection used the “afters” as its jumping-off point; each piece, from tight leather bustiers to oversized jackets, was custom-tailored to fit the models’ bodies — a form of attentiveness and care that infuses Rothschild’s collections. “The whole show was a love letter,” she says.

Ahead of her stint at Mugler, Alectra Rothschild skipped high school in favor of nearly four years in tailoring school, then studied fashion at London’s Central Saint Martins. This commitment to structural excellence undergirds all of her garments, no matter how playful and sexually charged they may seem. Below, we talk about making collections for all bodies, the inspirations she finds from nightlife, and what it means to literally uplift queer and trans people.

Your most recent collection, “YOU ARE WASTED HERE, YOU ARE A STAR” combines the decadence of the 1920s with the energy of modern nightlife. How did these inspirations meld to birth this body of work?

I was investigating intimacy and the space you create with your sisters after you've been to the club, gone home together, and had a kiki. It’s the safest place where you can let your hair down and go through life together. That’s why there were a lot of nightgowns, robes, and references to 1920s boudoirs. It’s extremely glamorous, with a very simple silhouette. You still have the club, the latex garments, and the cut-out slutty pieces, but then you come home and put a robe on top of the latex dress. The night isn’t over — it’s just moved to a private space. I was interested in the idea of getting ready and getting undone at the same time.

I often think about the huge difference between accepting queer and trans people and celebrating us. Can you share a little about how that idea plays out in your work?

After my first show in January, my instinct was to have all the trans people on pedestals. I wanted to make a specific societal power shift. The show was open to everyone and I wanted as many people as possible to come and look up to them. I think that’s what we deserve. I actually sat in the audience, which was fun because I’d never gotten to see my work before. I screamed so hard that I lost my voice for two days. I was sitting there crying, screaming, yelling, snapping. I’m so happy I got to witness it.

Stepping back a bit, when did you decide you wanted to be a designer?

My mom was a knitwear designer and had her own company that showed at Copenhagen Fashion Week right when it launched in the ‘90s. I was the textbook design kid, drawing all the time — even on my own body. I made myself the Little Mermaid, painted my legs green, and added a little bra. It’s always been with me. I did my first internship in eighth grade, where I made my very first dress.

Do you feel like there’s a throughline between your collections?

Flamboyant, shamelessly slutty, and technically heavy. If you make slutty pieces without finesse, it becomes Fashion Nova — and that’s not what I’m doing. Craftsmanship is a huge pillar. I also have this theory, which my master's graduation show was about, that you don’t have to limit yourself. You can be a thousand things at once or just five. My work is essentially about existing in all your contradictions.

What are you seeing in the industry right now, during the age of Ozempic and the harmful return to “heroin chic” ideals of the early 2000s?

I’m seeing the shows in New York, and everyone is going back to the emaciated look. I’ve developed specific [draping and ruching] techniques that can be altered to fit many bodies. While I love that, I find it problematic when the only pieces for larger bodies are stretchy. I love stretch, and it’s not inherently bad, but it is if it’s the only option in a collection where there are a million other things for slender body types. This season, I focused on tailoring for larger bodies. That’s super necessary. I’m a larger-bodied person myself, and I know how awful it feels to walk into a store and find that nothing fits. It’s an ongoing process that I wish would move faster.

If you could dress anyone for the red carpet, who would it be?

I’ve dressed this person before, but Arca is always number one. Lady Gaga could also be fun.

What’s the best thing about fashion right now?

There are so many emerging brands on all of the Fashion Week schedules! That’s exciting. I love Sinead O'Dwyer. I just walked in her show in Copenhagen. She’s doing some of the most important things in fashion, especially if we’re talking about true diversity. I’m obsessed with her.

What’s the worst thing about fashion right now?

The lack of structures in place for emerging designers. All the money is concentrated in one place. The rich are getting richer. Fun fact: only 18% of the fashion industry is working-class. It’s getting harder to stay afloat.

Your closet is on fire, and you can grab only one thing. What do you take?

Oh my God. My Jimmy Choos! The shape is beautiful. They have an underslung heel. It’s a very simple and classic piece.

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Tell me about a memorable afters you’ve attended recently.

I worked as a picker at this party called Endurance, which is actually where we had the most recent show. After I was done picking, I went in and all my friends were there and then we partied for two hours before it closed. We stayed at the location, and they have this huge backyard where we stayed for who knows how many moons. We were listening to Mariah Carey and Def Jam remixes, having such a kiki. That’s part of where the show's soundtrack came from.

I love that you included all of those audio clips from your friends, who also made up the majority of the cast for the show. What for you is the significance of working with people you care about?

I think five models out of the entire cast of twenty-four were people I didn't know. It really is a family affair when we do it. Platonic love is the ultimate for me. Our culture has a weird focus on romance, but the love that’s gotten me through life is my friends. They’re the family you build as a queer person. Not to get dire, but it is a life-and-death scenario. I value platonic love more than anything else.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

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