From the Lobster Ballet collection

Who is she?

The creative force behind Fay Alice is Berliner, Faye Smith, who set up her label in 2007. Before going it alone she had worked with Robert Cary Williams and La Petite Salope, having studied at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin and London’s University of Westminster. The brand name is a combination of Fay, meaning fairy in Old English and Alice which Smith thought had “a magical component to the sound of it.”

Smith says: “the world we live in is a magical place with beauty to be discovered all around us. Every little thing along our way has a story to tell and mostly it is the imperfections and the contradictions in life which are irrestistible and magical.”

The Look

Feminine, whimsical and very elegant, the Fay Alice look is very wearable and proves Smith’s understanding of the female form and what modern women want to wear. Dresses and separates are beautifully tailored and draped and use a refined colour palette. There’s an element of vintage to Smith’s designs too; from the full skirts to the button detailing. These are pieces destined to become modern classics that you’ll wear and wear again – adding a different belt, scarf or accessories would change the style of her garments entirely.

Smith’s latest (and first ready to wear) collection is entitled ‘Lobster Ballet’. She was inspired by a collage by the American surrealist artist Joseph Cornell featuring a paper cut-out of dancer Zizi Jeanmarie alongside some plastic lobsters! Using more colour than in past Fay Alice collections and with slightly shorter hemlines, Smith seems to be seeking to take the brand in a slightly younger direction.

Skirts and dresses are made from hand-dyed vintage fabrics and feature pretty details such as shell buttons, tulle accents and antique lace. The collection is toughened up with the addition of chunky leather belts and masculine jackets, giving it a rock chic vibe. One of our favourites is the ‘Pelerine’ coat; in deep French blue wool with princess seaming, and a full skirt, it’s brought up to date with the addition of overlaid sleeves and a capelet.

Super chic: the 'Pelerine' coat

Another stand-out piece is the hand-painted ‘Crystal Cage’ dress which would make a very elegant party frock. Or for something brighter, choose the flirty ‘Lobster’ dress in turquoise or brick red, which can be paired with the fun and too-cute-to-be-believed ‘Auriga’ Peter Pan collar with mother of pearl buttons. The voluminous ‘Mlle Faretti’ skirt in popeline is ultra feminine and a shape that would suit almost all women, regardless of shape or size.

Almost all of the clothes would work equally well during the day or the evening and this is really Smith’s strength – creating versatile, eminently wearable and very flattering pieces that won’t date rapidly.

The Buzz

Smith initially created one-off pieces for one of London’s most exclusive boutiques, Koh Samui. She has recently been featured in cool offbeat fashion mags, Indie and Interview and showed garments at CPH -Vision.

Her latest collection is on sale at Arcademi, a site selling work from the creme de la creme of young art and design talent. She has designed costumes for Maya von Doll, the frontwoman of Sohodolls and collaborated with Carl M. Smith (also known as Casa Electro Novo) to create clothes for his performances.

Where to buy it

Various websites sell Fay Alice, including Coco Career and Style Server. You can also buy the collection at select boutiques in London, Berlin and Copenhagen – see the Fay Alice website for details.