How To Stay In Fashion With Alec Leach

This week, BRICKS editor Chiara Maculan speaks to former Highsnobiety editor and author of The World Is On Fire But We're Still Buying Shoes about going solo, self-publishing on Substack and sticking to your opinions.

The fashion industry is fucked and no one looks after one another. This is a frequently touted opinion online these days, following an onslaught of redundancies, unpaid invoices and hiring horror stories, leaving much of London’s creative cohort without work or a supportive community.

As we become aware of fashion’s dubious morals and lack of job security, few voices resonate as distinctly as former Style Editor at Highsnobiety turned author and advocate, Alec Leach. His journey from the helm of a prominent fashion publication to the pages of The World Is On Fire But We're Still Buying Shoes encapsulates his personal evolution and industry introspection. 

Departing from Highsnobiety after nearly half a decade, Alec found himself at a crossroads as the publication's editorial priorities shifted amidst a commercial renaissance. Feeling the pulse of change, he recognised an opportunity to forge his path, catalysing a transition that brought him into publishing.

Rooted in a desire to carve a meaningful niche in the fashion industry’s journalistic landscape while maintaining his fervent commitment to the city he calls home, Alec transitioned into freelancing, honing his focus on sustainability through his Substack (Opens in a new window) amid the cacophony of consumer culture. Read about his experience below.