Today we’d like to introduce you to Austin Alegria.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am a San Antonio based designer co made with my partner Christopher Colins. We are the founders and creative directors of ALEGRIA, a queer designer brand established in 2020. What started as a personal creative outlet quickly evolved into a brand focused on identity, self expression, and storytelling through fashion. From the beginning, ALEGRIA was built to challenge expectations and create space for bold, unapologetic creativity while representing voices and perspectives that are often overlooked in fashion.
Over the years, the brand has continued to grow from a local independent label into one that has been showcased on larger platforms including Texas Fashion Week, Texas International Fashion Week, and New York Fashion Week. Each opportunity helped expand the visibility of the brand while staying true to its original purpose creating fashion that feels expressive, artistic, and deeply personal. Along the way, I have also built experience in marketing, creative direction, visual merchandising, and event production, all of which continue to shape the evolution of ALEGRIA today.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Fashion is an incredibly rewarding industry creatively, but it can also be very demanding financially and mentally. Between sourcing quality fabrics, producing garments, traveling for shows, coordinating production, and managing every creative detail, the costs add up very quickly especially as an independent designer and brand.
On top of that, we’re in a time where many people simply don’t have as much disposable income to spend on custom or designer pieces, which makes it even more challenging for independent brands. There’s a lot of pressure to constantly create, market, and grow while balancing the realities of running a business. But despite those challenges, we have continued to push ALEGRIA forward because I truly believe in the message and artistry behind the brand. Every obstacle has helped shape the resilience, creativity, and vision that got us to where we are today.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
What makes ALEGRIA unique is that every collection is deeply personal and created with intention. We specialize in wearable art combining fashion, photography, graphic design, and storytelling into one piece. A lot of our prints are developed entirely in house using photographs we’ve personally taken or artwork we’ve sketched ourselves, which are then transformed directly onto fabric. Every garment is also customized by hand, making each piece feel individual rather than mass produced.
As a queer brand, identity and self expression are at the center of what we create. We want the work to feel authentic, provocative, artistic, and unapologetic. Some of our prints even carry hidden layers of storytelling and community references for example, certain “cheetah” patterns are actually composed of photos of friends taken from their Grindr profiles, blending queer culture, humor, intimacy, and commentary into the design itself. It’s those kinds of details that make the brand feel personal and lived-in rather than manufactured.
What I’m most proud of is being able to build a brand that stays true to its vision while growing onto larger platforms like TXFW, TIFW, and NYFW. In an industry that often pushes creatives to conform, ALEGRIA has continued to embrace individuality, experimentation, and queer representation without watering itself down.
What’s next?
The future for ALEGRIA is centered around continuing to grow creatively while expanding the brand’s physical presence and community impact. Right now, we’re focused on developing new collections for runway shows, experimenting with new concepts, and creating larger editorial style photoshoots that continue pushing the storytelling behind each collection.
We’re also looking toward reopening a boutique or creative studio space that can function as both an art studio and a small storefront. Having a dedicated space would allow us to create more immersive experiences around the brand not just selling garments, but creating a place where fashion, art, photography, and community can exist together. More than anything, the goal is to continue evolving while staying authentic to the identity and creative vision that ALEGRIA was built on.
Pricing:
- we deal with custom work and each pieces price can vary.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @alegria1987_
- Facebook: @alegria1987
