chronic nostalgia: an interview with designer pixie pain
All images courtesy of Pixie Pain
Alexina Hobbs(Alex-Eye-Nuh), who goes by Alex or Pixie, is an interdisciplinary designer from Philadelphia, and the founder of pixie pain, a clothing and artist brand that is whimsical, nostalgic and healing in every sense of the word. Even though Alex has maintained the pixie persona since 2017, they only launched their website in 2022. Since then, they’ve released multiple collections and items, amassed over 30k followers on Instagram, and secured their own artist booth/pop up shop. Channeling their experiences in childhood, alex creates art that is full of emotion and speaks to the soul. Earlier this month Dreamworldgirl Zine had the pleasure of interviewing Alex to learn more about their art, what inspires them, and what they envision in their future.
Q1: When did you start making art? What got you into illustrations and designing?
A: I have been creating since childhood and made the Pixie Pain persona during a dark time in my adolescence, during my freshman year of high school. This persona that was once used as a vessel to process my emotions has evolved into my brand and business over the years. I launched my site in 2022 after a tough first year of college battling with chronic illness and isolation, it gave me something tangible that I could control. My grandfather got me into monetizing my art at a really young age, helping me open my first bank account when I was twelve for my LPS trading“ brand”, as well as pushing me to make commissions and prints of my artwork to sell at school. My first commission was from him when I was little, and in 2022 he helped me launch Pixie Pain. My tough childhood is where a lot of my art stems from, whether it's obvious or not, most of my illustrations come from my emotions, sometimes corresponding with journal entries.
Q2: Pixie Pain as a brand is whimsical, nostalgic and very, very cute. How did you get inspiration for your products? Is the aesthetic influenced by your personal style?
A: I have been“ chronically nostalgic” my entire life. I remember the feeling started after I lost my dad at age seven. I miss that time, the early 00s, and I wish I could go back for just one day. I like to think he is still there.
I think a lot of the aesthetics of Pixie Pain are influenced by my personal interests as well! I collect vintage toys and enjoy toy hunting with my partner in our spare time. Some of the things I collect are Sylvanian Families and Tamagotchi. Every nook and cranny of my space is filled with trinkets. I am also really inspired by a lot of media like Jim Henson’s films Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal are some of my favorites. Much of the cuteness in my brand is inspired by the aesthetic of Bee and Puppycat and other animated series. Some of the recent Christian symbolism I’ve been experimenting with recently is inspired by my love for cemeteries. They are truly a safe space for me to have my own interpretation of religion and process trauma. I also have been passionate about advocating for Bianca Devins and the concept of digital immortality which have inspired many pieces.
Q3: Earlier this year you launched the Pixie Tights! How do you prep for a new launch?
A: To prepare for a launch I usually start on Pinterest, gathering photos that fit the vibe of what I’m going for! Once I put together a design, I will usually post it as a poll for feedback to do an interest check. The Kickstarter I did was very different from how my shop works, and it was a bit of a learning curve. For Fall 2024 I organized a photoshoot for the very first time and collaborated with other artists! This time I wanted to make more one-of-one items since tights are so time consuming to make during the school year. I currently have all of the one-of-one designs ready but am planning on making the tights as the orders come. I definitely need to perfect this process more when I’m out of school to make it more efficient and allow for more orders.
Q4: You have an incredible, ever-growing following of over 30k on Instagram. What is your advice to new, emerging artists who want to cultivate a fanbase around their work?
A: I love this question! Honestly feels like this all happened super quickly but I know that consistently posting reels really helped me gain a larger audience. I also think that branding is really important, you should really have a toolkit. This consists of things like color palettes, fonts, icons, and logos. Consistency is very appealing to the algorithm!
Q5: How do you balance your work/school life and artistic pursuits?
A: This is a really good question that I’ve been getting a lot and to be honest I’m not sure if I do it well (LOL!) I try to work on school alongside business and get my homework done according to what is due first, but it is really hard to not get distracted with fun small biz stuff. I constantly feel like I have 100 tabs open in my mind, here's to graduating this May!
Q6: What’s your favorite thing about running Pixie Pain? What’s the hardest thing?
A: My favorite thing about running Pixie Pain would be the recognition my art has received and the impact it has had on others! It feels amazing to have such a devoted fan base who send me such sweet words of encouragement. I love hearing that I inspire others, that is truly a dream come true for me. On the other hand, the demand can also be a blessing and a curse as I have been struggling to keep up with the speed of fast fashion as a small business run by one person. Fast fashion has made people so inpatient and it's so unfortunate.
Q7: In your opinion, how should an artist set themselves apart while still maintaining their authenticity?
A: To be honest, just do your thing. Try shit out to see what feels like“ you.” Find your niche, something you’re passionate about. In my opinion I feel like being authentic is the best way to set yourself apart as an artist; your audience is out there, they just haven’t found you yet.
“Being authentic is the best way to set yourself apart as an artist; your audience is out there, they just haven’t found you yet.”
Q8: Are there any exciting new projects coming up for Pixie Pain?!
A: Yes!! November 23rd at 12 PM EST a HUGE collection will be up! We are launching over 40 new products and premiering the photoshoot!
