“The designer deep within me had been like a monster trying to get out and now I felt that if I did not let it, it would eat me alive.”
~Avril Lemieux
Only an artist could make a statement like this. Avril Lemieux the mind behind ‘Alicat’ truly lives up to that title getting inspiration for intricate clothing lines from a motorcycle and sewing a complete dress at the age of seven. She grew up in a family based in love and hard work and that taught her from a young age if you want to have your dream be a reality, “no one can do it for you. You must make it happen.’ “My Papa always says if you want it done right do it your self.” Avril definitely did it right by following that mantra.
On Alicat’s website I came across a statement that really stuck out to me. She said “I want my designs to fit the needs of man/woman without compromising the beauty of the design.” A big part of being a designer is being able to see beyond the material. Avril see’s that and hopes to deliver beauty as well as proper function and comfort.
Here is more on her journey in feeding the monster:
Fuzion: We know the story behind the name of your line (Alicat), but could you share the touching story with our readers?
Avril: It is my alter ego. It is how someone perceived me as I hoped to be perceived. Sexy, powerful, driven, mysterious, never knowing what new adventure would arise. A new beginning, with a touch of the past.
“I was always taking things apart to see how they were made, my Mama would always say just put it back together.”
Fuzion: Do you still have the dress that you sewed when you were seven years old?
Avril: No, lol but I have the picture. It was dark red, buttons down the back and a sash around the waist.
Fuzion: What is your favorite thing about being a designer?
Avril: I get to see what is in my mind, come to life in 3D.
Fuzion: What part do your parents and other family members play in your artistry?
Avril: They are my ever support and inspiration. I could not succeed without them, as well as my team of models, photographers and MUA/hair stylists.
Fuzion: Tell us about your Cigar clutch?
Avril: It was my first accessory design, inspiration simply cigars. This is classic ALICAT, take something ordinary and pair it with an odd item to create a new vision.
Fuzion: How was being in your New York City Fashion Week?
Avril: Glorious! A beginning flat form to the future.
Fuzion: What types of things are inspiring you nowadays?
Avril: Many things inspire me from a piece of paper crumpled against a stone building or the pattern on a man hole cover. I am always driven by classic 30-40’s with a sharp edge, something you would never put together in our reality. All I can say for the moment is the next collection will leave you feeling invincible…
Fuzion: What is one word that describes you as an artist? Why?
Avril: Driven. Its something deep within, like a spark is to fire and the sea’s waves are to the moon. Without one, it is not whole or would not exist. So I must create, I will not stop.
The ALICAT man or woman is “Driven, Powerful, and sexy”
Fuzion: What can we look forward to from “ALICAT” in the future?
Avril: You will always want more and you will never be bored.
“There will be many more to come. For the monster has been released.”
