Who doesn’t love a good sleep in on a Saturday morning!? Well, now you can make it even more luxurious in Alexandria Main sleepwear. This brand is the latest addition to our little family and we have fallen in love with sleep all over again because of them (as if falling out of love with sleep was possible!) Apart from their amazing ethos in using factory surplus material, therefore, limiting waste, but we also love that their gorgeous loungewear goes from the pool lounge to cocktail lounge easily, with silk caftans that shimmer and float when you walk. Being inspired by the 50s and 60s, Alexandria Main’s timeless sleepwear is made from gauzy cotton in the classic style of a man’s shirt and a pair of boxer shorts.

Named after the beaches of Alexandria Bay and Main Beach at Noosa in Australia, this all-Aussie brand was set up as a ‘fashion with purpose’ project. Owner and designer, Roxane Horton was inspired to work in Cambodia to bring healing and hope after the legacy of the terrible Pol Pot regime. She sought out production partners who care about their sewers and weavers, and who provide fair wages, training and a working environment that enriches their lives. This mattered to her because she believed that nothing is truly beautiful if it comes at the expense of another person.

Roxane makes her collections in Cambodia, “in a small airy studio in Phnom Penh”. Called Fair Sew, it was set up by Australian Anneliese Helmy to upskill and employ local women. “Every seamstress is paid more than a living wage. They are given job training and opportunities for advancement,” says Horton. Thus, the Impact Badge of the Living Wage was awarded to Alexandria Main.

Alexandria Main received the Charity Supporting Impact Badge because it has donated 10% of all their profits to organisations that exist to improve the lives of women and children in Cambodia. Some of the organisations they contribute to are listed below –

1. Human and Hope Association, who empower their community in Siem Reap, Cambodia, through projects focused on education, community development and vocational training.
2. Cambodian Children’s Fund Child Protection Unit works to bring child abusers to justice and protect those who can’t protect themselves.
3. Friends International is a social enterprise with a mission to empower Cambodian children

 

Roxane is a former speechwriter and ministerial adviser. “I’ve studied foreign development and human rights,” she says. “I know that seems incongruous with fashion, but they share a common trait in their ability to have a transformative effect on people’s lives.”

Empowering women in every aspect of the company, as well as using factory surplus material, Alexandria Main also achieved the Empowering Women and Eco-Friendly Impact Badges.

Roxane dreams of seeing Alexandria Main sleepwear stocked in every major luxury hotel boutique. For now, she simply urges everybody to consume consciously. “We all have the power to make a positive difference in the lives of other people and it would be a shame to waste it.�

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