Hot Martini: The Upcycled Reign of Alex Weldon

Hot Martini: The Upcycled Reign of Alex Weldon
by ASLUT Staff Writer / Photographed by Jordan Beaver

“I’m designing for a girl who has exciting places to go with her best friends, wears the hottest outfits, and has the best time.”

That’s Alex Weldon talking about her clothing line Hot Martini, but it could just as easily describe Alex herself—Tulsa’s reigning cool-girl designer with a sewing machine in one hand and a thrifted charm bracelet in the other. Equal parts sweetheart and style assassin, Alex is reworking vintage into something altogether new: playful, punky, and sexed-up for the girls who run the party and the boys who wish they were invited.

Last month, she debuted a new mini-collection at The Colony, a local bar with “lots of character,” where models swerved through the Valentine’s Day crowd in what Alex calls “dark romantic vibes—think rockstar girlfriend on Valentine's Day.” The show was intimate, a little chaotic, and entirely her. “After the stress of making sure that the whole mood is captured,” she says, “it’s a great feeling to step back and watch my beautiful models show off what I designed in such a fun atmosphere.”

The vibe was tight. The pieces? Tighter.

It’s easy to assume Alex Weldon is just another It Girl with a knack for thrifting, but then she opens her sketchbook and reminds you: she studied fashion manufacturing at Clary Sage. She has the receipts and the patterns. What began as DIYing clothes and hawking handmade hair bows has evolved into a full-blown fashion identity—one built on upcycled denim, faux furs, and the unmistakable glow of a girl who knows she’s That Girl.

When she linked up with Bailey Rose & Co. for her latest drop, the process was collaborative from the jump. “We created a Pinterest board with color waves and textures we wanted to source,” Alex says. “When I’m thrifting, my number one priority is quality of the garment. Then I’m looking for eye-catching prints, colors, or textures.” The result was thirty pieces and eight bag charms—accessories she made out of thrifted jewelry and pure instinct.

“The best jewelry I find are big statement necklaces with a lot of chains and charms I can completely take apart,” she says. “I love waist chains, so I’ve been making a lot of those.”

What’s striking about Alex’s work is the fusion of intention and instinct. She doesn’t just make outfits—she builds worlds. She starts with a girl, a mood, a fantasy. “I imagine what the attitude of the girl wearing my clothes will be,” she says. “I want her to feel confident and sexy.”

And now, with her spring/summer line on the horizon, that attitude is going technicolor. “I’ve been inspired by animal prints mixed with fun bright colors,” she says. “I’m using mesh, fringe, grommets, studs, chains—lots of statement pieces. I want people to feel free and energized.”

Translation: the summer’s about to be stupid hot.

Underneath it all, Alex is chasing not just vibes but evolution. “What I really want is to make myself a better designer with every new line,” she says. “Right now my emphasis is adding unique and intricate features to the pieces and learning techniques for creating a richer texture.”

She’s also making bikinis. (Sorry in advance to everyone else at the pool.)

But even with Hot Martini heating up, the ethos remains clear: wear it loud, wear it proud, and make it feel like yours. “One woman’s trash is another’s treasure,” she says. And in Alex Weldon’s hands, trash becomes treasure faster than you can say pass me that waist chain.