Click HERE for the original Garden Dialogue with Alexandra Knight.
Who is Alexandra Knight?
Owner and founder of luxury handbag and accessory company Alexandra Knight. Her handmade pieces are offered in over 200 exotic skin options including python, ostrich, alligator, lizard and offered in an endless color palette that extends from matte black to shiny gold and silver washes. Clients can mix and match skins and colors to their hearts delight. Her international and oh so stylish clientele includes red carpet regulars such as Sandra Bullock and Rachel Weisz. Her work has been featured in countless magazines including Vogue,Bazaar and Women’s Wear Daily.
Alexandra Knight designs have evolved to include all sorts of accessories; everything from shot gun shell belts to gorgeous skin bracelets. She honed her incredible style as a fashion editor at Vogue and Allure Magazine before moving to Houston and starting her handbag design business.
Not only is Alex the handbag designer to the stars, she is a devoted wife and mother of 4; two darling boys and two labs (Luna & Ella). I think of her as a quiet storm, she has boundless energy, oozes creativity & style, has a wicked sense of humor and the best part … she is my friend.
Has the landscape ever influenced your designs?
I am definitely inspired by the beauty of gardens and landscapes. I find the symmetry and design of landscapes inspiring and influential in the simple designs of my handbags. Many of our bright beautiful colors are direct inspiration from flowers and plants. Mother Nature sure does know her color palette.
Memorable time in the landscape?
I love walking out to my new hut that Cedar Baldridge designed for me with its striped awnings and drapes. I feel like I am in the south of France and when my gardenia bushes are in full bloom on either side it makes for a very happy day.
If you could live in any landscape, what would it be?
I would live in a little SanYsidro Ranch cottage with bougainvillea framing the windows, orange trees and orange blossoms, hydrangea bushes in bloom and the cottage would be ivy-covered with an interior wood burning fireplace. There would be a trailhead outside my door where I could go hiking. And then I could walk outside and have a beautiful vegetable garden as well. The drive would be lined with olive trees and crushed gravel.
Earliest childhood garden memory?
In fourth grade I planted a vegetable garden on the side of our house. When everything came to full growth at the end of the school year, I picked all of the vegetables and placed them in baskets to give away as teacher gifts. It was really fun and I want to do that with my kids.
Favorite gardens of the world?
The rose garden at the Rodin Museum in Paris is beautiful, intimate and so special. You feel as if you are in someone’s personal garden and the roses are enormous!
I love the vegetable garden at The Ranch at Live Oak in Malibu. It is rows and rows of beautiful rich colorful veggies and in beautifully landscaped little plots.
I also adore Lotusland in Santa Barbara. It is like a Dr. Seuss book, apparently Theodor Seuss Geisel, the author, spent A LOT of time there. They have a magnificent espaliered lemon arbor that is pure perfection.
Guests at your fantasy garden dinner party?
It would be at the Plow & Angel Pub at San Ysidro Ranch under the eucalyptus trees that are strung with little twinkly lights.The food is fabulous and 100% comfort food. Blood orange margaritas trimmed in sugar and salt, burgers & ribs, mac and cheese, truffle fries and artisan pizzas with figs, balsamic glaze and goat cheese. YUM!
I would do fancy s’mores fireside at the end.
Guests….hmm that is hard.
Cedar Baldridge since she knows how to get a party started and would do fun and festive table decorations.
Malcolm Gladwell since I think he is one of the coolest “cats” around, uber interesting and smart.
Brene Brown, she is the bomb. Funny, authentic and tells it like it is.
My Husband, Brady Knight, to keep me grounded so that I don’t become a social dork and trip on myself.
Claire Danes because I am currently obsessed with Homeland and her crazy character.
Kenneth Noland the artist, because I would sweet talk him into painting a fabulous circle painting for my house.
Designer Isabel Marant and her husband, Jerome Dreyfuss, because they just seem cool and I would want to channel that thru osmosis.
Bradley Cooper because he is hot and I could stare at him all night.
My dad who died seven (7) years ago and I would do anything to hear his stories of traveling and life over a cigar and scotch.
And I would ask everyone to bring their most interesting person so I can meet a new mix of people.
Favorite plants?
Peonies and hydrangeas.
What is your favorite thing about a Baldridge Landscape?
The original yet whimsical designs that Cedar creates are totally original spaces that are comfortable and not too fussy or formal. They are beautiful and bring a smile to everyone who experiences them. She can carefully marry a sense of humor with elegant and timeless design while perfectly personalizing the landscape to the owner. That is a hard thing to accomplish. She takes the client into account and makes decisions based on their lifestyle and needs while offering up things that we [clients] don’t even realize we need but soon find we cannot live without. Her designs bring families and friends together and that is the most beautiful part of her work.