By Aless Bester, with reflections from Anna Kennedy OBE
Photo of Aless and Anna Kennedy OBE by David Biddlecombe
“I accidentally created a fashion label by starting again at 50!”
For Alessandra Bester, the journey to London Fashion Week began in a way she could never have predicted.
An artist and mum to her son Ethan, a young man with autism and bipolar disorder who requires full-time care, Alessandra has spent much of her life balancing creativity with the demands of caring for someone she loves.
“We are a great team,” she says simply.
Yet it was Ethan who, quite unexpectedly, helped inspire what would become an extraordinary new chapter in his mum’s life.
Alessandra originally bought a 3D pen for him, but she wasn’t happy with the materials supplied with it. Looking for something more environmentally friendly and easier to work with, she began experimenting herself.
That search opened up an entirely new creative world.
Fascinated by what could be achieved with the pen, Alessandra started exploring its possibilities. What began as experimentation soon developed into something far more ambitious.
After sharing one of her handmade necklaces on Instagram, she was invited to include her work in Aether Magazine’s 10th anniversary London Fashion Week show.
There was no looking back.
Working around Ethan’s needs, Alessandra began drawing and creating outfits whenever she had the opportunity. The flexibility of the 3D pen proved perfect for her circumstances: she could pick it up when she had time and put it down the moment Ethan needed her.
Slowly, painstakingly and piece by piece, an entire collection began to emerge.
Bloom After Dark
The resulting collection, “Bloom After Dark,” is a striking series of sculptural, moving garments hand-drawn entirely using a 3D pen.
But this is about much more than fashion.
At its heart, “Bloom After Dark” is a story of resilience, liberation and renewal after periods of profound darkness. Each garment challenges traditional ideas about how clothes should be made, what fashion can represent and even how it can be experienced.
The collection takes inspiration from real people — their personalities, individuality, characteristics and neurodiversity.
Using a 3D pen and bio-flexible material, Alessandra effectively draws directly into space, creating textiles, garments and accessories entirely by hand.
Perhaps what makes her work even more remarkable is that her approach has not come through traditional fashion education. Instead, it has developed through curiosity, experimentation and life experience, together with the freedom of not feeling restricted by established fashion rules.
That freedom sits at the heart of “Bloom After Dark”.
Alessandra wants us to look at clothing and accessories differently. Rather than simply asking what something is supposed to be, she encourages us to imagine what else it could become.
An accessory might be worn, interpreted and styled completely differently from one person to another. In turn, its life can be extended, encouraging individuality and creativity while questioning our increasingly disposable culture.
Beginning this journey at 50 is also an important part of Alessandra’s story.
It is a powerful reminder that experience, imagination and creativity do not suddenly come with an expiry date. Sometimes the most exciting chapter of our lives can begin when we least expect it.
Anna Kennedy OBE Shares Her Reflections
“I was honoured to be a special guest at Alessandra’s ‘Bloom After Dark’ fashion show.
“I have known Aless for more than ten years. We originally connected when she spoke to me about some of the difficulties she was experiencing around her son Ethan’s education.
“Over the years, I have interviewed Aless several times, including on Women’s Radio, Gateway Radio and Sky TV’s The Chrissy B Show. Our conversations have covered many subjects close to both our hearts — autism, education, allergies, nutrition and, of course, our sons.
“I remember Aless telling me about the company she had created at the time, Nono Cocoa, and I was proud to support what she was doing.
“So, to be there years later watching her first fashion show was quite something. I was absolutely blown away by her creativity and everything she had achieved.
“What also meant a great deal to me was seeing the people modelling her designs. Six of the models are autistic, while Annelie, who has Down syndrome, is part of Drag Syndrome. For me, that made the evening even more special.
“I have watched Aless go through different chapters of her life over the years, always with Ethan at the heart of everything she does. Now, at 50, she has started another chapter — and what a chapter it is.
“As a mam myself, I know only too well how much of our lives can be shaped around the needs of our sons. Sometimes our own ideas and dreams have to fit into whatever spaces we can find.
“That is why Aless’s story really struck a chord with me. She found something she could create around Ethan’s needs, picked up that 3D pen and simply kept going.
“And now her work has reached London Fashion Week.
“I was incredibly proud to be there supporting Aless and Ethan and watching ‘Bloom After Dark’ come to life.
“Sometimes life takes us down roads we never expected. And sometimes starting again at 50 can be the beginning of something quite extraordinary.”
Anna Kennedy OBE
Founder and Chair, Anna Kennedy Online
2Shades Magazine 