Faces Changing The Industry: Lindsey Alt
For over 12 years, Lindsey Alt has been a torchbearer for emerging Latin American fashion brands, challenging systems and ideas such as gatekeeping knowledge, replacing isolation with collaboration. What began as a solo entrepreneurial journey—marked by the familiar struggles of building a fashion business without a support network—has blossomed into a thriving ecosystem where entrepreneurs grow together.
Through ALT Creative Agency, Alt has created a platform where designers access resources, mentorship, and, above all, community.
Based in New York and Guadalajara and deeply connected to global markets, Alt’s work bridges the gap between local talent and international opportunity. Her philosophy? That collaboration, not competition, is the key to unlocking Latin America’s untapped potential.
For this edition of Faces changing the industry Bazar by Hotbook discusses alongside Lindsey Alt the new ways in which fashion can operate; dismantling outdated industry norms, the dangers of social media’s “echo chamber,” and why lifting others is the only way to climb.
Bazar by Hotbook: As the industry continues to evolve, what role do you see yourself playing in challenging traditional norms?
Lindsey Alt: The fact that the industry is changing so rapidly is a sign that we are finally leaving behind a traditional model that has simply not served emerging brands well over the past decades. At Alt Creative Agency our goal is to democratize access to the information, tools and contacts that every brand, big or small, needs to be able to thrive. For too long, the doors to success have been closed for all but a handful of brands… Our mission is to break them wide-open for anyone with a dream of building a successful global brand.
BbH: What changes would you like to see in the creative/fashion industry?
LA: Social media has become an echo chamber creating an endless loop of sameness which makes it harder and harder to distinguish one brand from another. We always tell our clients to trust their creative intuition, but they can’t truly hear it if they’re eternally online. I’d like to see more designers focusing on inspiration from books, archives, art, and nature. We need more storytelling, but not from a marketing standpoint, from an authentic and deeply personal perspective that many designers are afraid to share.
BbH: What specific innovations or approaches have you introduced in your work that you believe are transforming the standards and practices of the fashion industry?
LA: Our community, without a doubt. When I started my business 12 years ago, I dove headfirst into the world of entrepreneurship without a network in the fashion industry and it was not easy to build a business from such an isolated place. With Alt Creative we’ve created a platform where entrepreneurs, just like me, feel seen and heard and less alone in one of the hardest jobs anyone can have… building a fashion brand. Today we are helping hundreds of emerging fashion designers with access to resources, education, connection, and sisterhood… where community is at the center of their growth. I truly believe women are capable of anything when we’re surrounded by the right people.
BbH: Following the theme of community, we believe Alt Creative Academy is doing something very special. In the fashion industry, ideas like “keeping your brand’s secrets” from other entrepreneurs still persist. From your experience, what other beliefs do we need to dismantle as an industry?
LA: Without a doubt the biggest limiting belief we see in brands is the idea that competition exists among them. I always encourage our community to zoom out, look at the big picture and ask themselves whether or not they truly believe they can serve the entire market with their brand alone… if the answer is no, then it's clear that competition doesn’t exist; the market is far too big for just one brand. When the founders in our community take on our shared vision of collaboration over competition, amazing things happen. One super clear example I have is that two swimwear brands we worked with swore that they were each other’s competition because they had the same fabric supplier. Once they got to know each other through the community, they ended up collaborating on the purchase and shipment of their fabric from the shared supplier which in turn saved them thousands of dollars. It’s been said many times but collaboration will always win over competition.
Collaboration will always win over competition.
BbH: With your expertise in international markets like the USA and Mexican talent, in the current landscape, what should a brand consider before deciding to internationalize its presence and reach more markets?
LA: This is the question I get asked the most! There are three things a brand needs to consider. The first, and most important, is their supply chain efficiency (it sounds boring, I know!) but this is where brands end up falling on their faces with big buyers. If you cannot guarantee a timely delivery of your goods, it does not matter how beautiful your product is or how sticky your marketing campaign is. The second is a professional presentation… you need to be buttoned up if you want to compete on an international scale. This means having an impeccable lookbook, linesheet and cost structure, a well versed elevator pitch and the ability to stand in front of a buyer and sell them on the spot. It takes practice but above all, it takes really knowing your “why” and delivering on that. Lastly you need a collection that is complete… that means you have a series of hero products, fashion products, and your tried-and-true basic or essential line. The buyers want to see a full range from the brand (20-30 styles minimum) and it needs to be consistently aligned with your DNA season after season.
BbH: Lastly, in times marked by deep social division, we find the conversation and collaboration work promoted by Alt Creative revolutionary. What do you believe is the importance of fostering these dynamics in our work—and even in our lives?
LA: For far too long the brands in Latin America have been overlooked as the conversation has been directed primarily towards Europe. That dialogue is rapidly changing and it’s in all of our best interest to find solidarity in the new attention that the Latinx brands are gaining. If the brands in Latin America want to make it to the top, they’re going to have to arrive together, not divided. We are so much stronger in numbers and we can go so much further when we join forces and share resources. There is an incredible book that a friend gifted me last year called “Lift As You Climb” by Viv Groskop and it is centered on the idea that a fundamental part of ambition is seizing opportunity not just for yourself but for others as well… as an ally or a mentor or even just leaving the door open for the next brand or founder behind you. The questions I ask myself and challenge my team to every day are how are we creating opportunities for our community with each opportunity that crosses our desk? Who are we lifting as we climb?
Lindsey Alt’s vision for fashion is both revolutionary and refreshing: replace scarcity with abundance, silence with storytelling, and isolation with sisterhood. By prioritizing community over competition, ALT Creative Agency isn’t just nurturing brands—it’s reshaping the industry’s future. In a world hungry for authenticity, Alt’s message resonates beyond fashion: success is not a solo journey, but a collective ascent. As Latin American designers gain long-overdue recognition, Alt’s work ensures they won’t walk alone.
