The Basics
Name: Ally Cowie
Hometown: Ramsey, NJ
School Year: Senior
Major: Apparel Design and Fashion Merchandising
Ally Cowie is not your average college student. Instead of sitting around watching Netflix in between classes, she is behind her sewing machine in her tiny college bedroom creating new products for her Etsy shop.
Yes, you read that right. This UD Senior is the founder and designer for a leather goods based brand, Alexandra Blvd. When she’s not sewing her senior collection, she is creating leather bags, pouches, keychains and necklaces and ships them off to customers.
This all began during her whirlwind study abroad experience in the fashion capital of the world, Paris. It is where she bought her first leather hyde and she has been hooked ever since. “I loved working with the material and how it brought my designs to life. I kept wanting to experiment more with leather and before I knew it, Alexandra Blvd was born,” Ally explained.
You’re probably getting stressed out just thinking about being a student and entrepreneur all at once, but Ally disagrees. “Actually, working on Alexandra Blvd gives me a creative outlet and lets me take a break from my rigorous school work.” Plus, it allows her to take what she’s learning in the classroom and bringing it out into the real world. Can you say resume booster?!
Ally exudes a rustic and bohemian style and her brand is nothing less. All her pieces can be layered with other trendy pieces or stand alone to add some boho appeal to an outfit so they are sure to please everyone’s style.
As sorority sisters and friends spread word around campus, her tiny desk is being taken over with new orders. However, she is not sticking just to the UD campus bubble. “My products can translate to a lot of different demographics and I am using social media to start a conversation and hopefully get Alexandra Blvd to spread,” Cowie said. She is also working on her products to be featured on the shelves in trendy boutiques instead of just on the pages of her Etsy site.
Ally shows no signs of stopping. Not even an ER trip slowed her down after she accidentally sewed her finger in her machine and needed firefighters to come free her. Be sure to check out Alexandra Blvd on Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/AlexandraBlvd) and on Instagram (@alexandrablvd) to follow Ally as she takes on the world of entrepreneurship and fashion.