Alva Lingestål draws inspiration from childhood imagination and old lady muses to bring to you something funky fresh. She is a young creative soul who is tickled by all things hideously beautiful, following her girlhood dream of becoming a designer. Learn more about her love of weird combinations, her thoughts on social media and her plans for the future.

Have you always known you wanted to be a designer? 
When I was 11, we had an assignment in school where we had to write a letter to ourselves ten years into the future. I remember that I wrote that my dream was to live in Monaco and design wedding dresses. Well, that’s pretty far from what I do now, but I guess it shows that I’ve always known that I want to do this in some way.

What are the inspirations for your most recent collection?
 I tend to find inspiration in old ladies and their style, like with small funny hats, lace gloves and pointy bras, always somewhere between the pretty and ugly. My most recent collection is also an interpretation of perception, playing with our sight. I wanted to explore how I could deceive the eye by working with shapes or ornaments that we have a strong recognition for. For example, I used shapes from old porcelain figures and of body parts to make accessories.

Do you dabble in other art forms (i.e. music, visual art)? If so, how does that influence your design work? 
When I work, my subconscious often goes straight to the outcome. I tend to build a little world in my head that includes visual art in the form of photo, installations and video... But when it comes to music, I’m unfortunately a bit tone-deaf!

What role do you see social media playing in the future of your brand?
 Social media nowadays is of course really important and a great way to reach out to exhibit what you do, on your own terms. It’s nice how you can be a small-scale designer but yet, have a platform to express yourself, so I will definitely put a lot of effort in my social media in the future.

Some of your pieces seem to show a paradox between real and fake, (for example, the ceramic feet). Is this intentional? If so, where did this idea come from? 
By working with different interpretations of perception, I wanted to have some pieces in my collection that are very “literal”. My aesthetic expressions is often a bit bizarre and odd, which seems to go hand in hand with a surrealistic dream world vibe.

Many of your images seem to have an heir of nostalgia. What childhood inspirations do you draw from in your work?
 I’m really attached to weird combinations and I think that a childish perspective is fun to play with and combine with other influences. I usually end up with something that looks like a character from Alice In Wonderland.

What can we expect to see from you in the near future? 
I think my focus ahead will be to let my creativity express itself beyond just clothes. I’ve been thinking about combining my fashion with installations and maybe performance art.