Women at Work: Alex Harris, Fashion Designer, Upcycler

What does a day in your work life look like?

A day at Chrome usually consists of sewing messenger bags and backpacks with customers' chosen colors, patches, and occasionally up-cycled fabrics and materials.

Woman wearing glasses and striped shirt operating a sewing machine while working with orange and blue fabric samples on her workspace.

I also spend a good chunk of my time repairing or refurbishing older bags that are brought in to me.

How did you learn to sew?

I taught myself at an early age and majored in fashion design at the School of The Art Institute of Chicago. I focused on women's wear in school, then learned to use more heavy duty materials like Tarpaulin and Cordura on the job at Chrome.

A workspace with a red nail clipper, black fabric with a logo, hardware in packaging, sketches, and various papers scattered on a wooden desk.

What's the biggest challenge you have faced in your work?

The biggest challenge for me is knowing when to say no. I want to help everyone who comes in make their dream bag, but the customer's concept is not always realistic. It can be difficult to navigate individuals who don’t sew into a realistic design perspective.

What are the top five things that are always in your pockets?

  1. Chapstick, for Chicago winters.
  2. Beeswax hand salve - sewing and bag repair destroys my hands.
  3. Loose thread: I am always covered in thread, so I gave up on trying to remove it.
  4. Bobby pins: to keep my hair out of my face and out of my sewing machine.
  5. Snacks: I am not good at taking proper breaks from my work and always end up snacking while I sew.

What are you doing when you’re not working hard?

I run my own business where I make women's intimate apparel. So if I am not at Chrome, I am often sewing at my second job, Seeker Intimates. On a rare day off, I go for long bike rides or distance runs.

Group of women wearing beige and brown undergarments sitting and standing together in a bright room with plants and dried flowers on wall.

Pieces from Alex's line, Seeker Intimates

What does workwear designed for women mean to you?

I think representation is huge in the fashion industry. We're often marketed one type of woman, both in shape and in lifestyle. It can be difficult enough to find jeans with real pockets, let alone durable workwear. As a cyclist and a designer, I need to be able to wear products that are as durable and functional as apparel designed for men, but I also need it to fit me well, and look intentional.

Check out Alex’s custom bags made for Chrome Industries at @chrome_ch and @seeker_intimates to see her lingerie line.

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