Alix Higgins aimed to move away from his usual practice of centering collections around a single theme. “I wanted to shake that off a little bit and go back to this way of working from before, which is sort of intuitive and emotional,” he explained. Known for his affinity with words—often scattered throughout his designs—Higgins was inspired by the phrase “goodbye cowboy” from Honour Levy’s My First Book. “It’s this very meaningful thing of yearning, but also it’s kind of meaningless and silly,” he remarked.
Embracing ambiguity, Higgins used the phrase in a cyan blue sans serif font on a gray v-neck knit, layered over a red ruffled collar and teamed with printed board shorts in a surfer style. The phrase also appeared on a t-shirt with a clip-art font, paired with a fluted silk chiffon skirt cut on the bias and topped with a hat reminiscent of a romantic wanderer. His designs, including rash-shirts and tanks, hark back to his early work with gradient stretch fabric, now rendered in bold athletic colors. A business shirt and tie were combined with oversized cotton shorts. Levy’s book explores themes of identity and existence in the digital age, which Higgins sought to encapsulate by blending various stylistic elements and codes.
Beyond words, Higgins focused on symbols. Stars adorned boxy t-shirts and flowing skirts, open to interpretations as astrological, patriotic, or simply decorative. “I wanted to keep some things for the people who come to the shop and they look up close and there are these small fragments of text, but it’s maybe not so much for everyone,” he said. This personal connection with the garments resonates with his audience, especially now with his own store in Sydney’s Chinatown.
Identifying as pragmatic and commercially-minded, Higgins incorporated black—a color he’s less at ease with—following client requests. This collection offers fans familiar elements with a touch of novelty. The print may initially appear as a brewing storm, smoke, or the rose it truly represents. For Higgins, it’s crucial that there’s always room for personal interpretation.
