Alumni in Action: Launching a Global Fashion Design Agency | News Article details
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:14
Alumni in Action: Launching a Global Fashion Design Agency | News Article details
The Hub
Share to Facebook
Share to Twitter
Share to LinkedIn
Share to Pinterest
Share to Email
Print this page
Alumni in Action: Launching a Global Fashion Design Agency
March
17
,
2026
Alumni in Action: Launching a Global Fashion Design Agency
Alexander Donald ’14 is one of five alumni speaking at the 2026
SAAS in the City
on March 28.
By:
Sarah-Mae McCullough
, Editorial Content Manager
When Alexander Donald ’14 reflects back on his days at SAAS, one experience jumps out: rehearsing and performing with The Onions.
In SAAS’s premier Jazz Choir I—an arts offering known for award-winning performances and meaningful community—he learned to master complex works with laser-like focus. He practiced building collaborative relationships with other creators and grew more and more confident in the spotlight.
Those are the skills Alex later used to launch a career in a different creative field: fashion. Following his artistic interests throughout college and beyond led him to his current career as a fashion entrepreneur, running his own studio and designing for brands around the world. The sense of curiosity, the commitment to detail, and the confidence to share his work that he nurtured at SAAS all helped fuel his journey.
After SAAS, Alex studied music at Wesleyan University and then apparel design at Seattle Central College. Equipped with the tactical skills to pattern make and sew garments, he landed a job at the brand Brain Dead in Los Angeles. At the LA cultural institution, he became responsible for designing seasonal fashion collections presented twice a year at a Paris fashion show and regularly sold to retailers around the world.
“Seeing people buying and wearing the clothes I made in Paris—that felt like a full circle moment,” he reflected.
A few years into his fashion career, Alex had started working with private clients on the side. With both elevated design expertise and the confidence to share his ideas boldly, he was ready to strike out on his own. The studio he founded a year and a half ago, PGG, now offers design, development, and production services to brands worldwide.
Alex partially credits his studio’s success to the level of discipline and attention to detail he mastered in The Onions. Breaking down complex works note by note, he developed a “deep, deep appreciation and respect for the details,” he said. Now, that translates into inspired, intentional design.
At the same time, SAAS's culture of curiosity and breadth of curriculum—from advanced jazz choirs and studio arts to robotics and speech and debate—encouraged him to explore interests and follow his hunches. SAAS’s
Culture of Performance
helped prepare him to share and advocate for his work and to launch into entrepreneurship.
Throughout his seven years at SAAS, “there was always an emphasis on public speaking, whether it was in American Studies or any other class—there was always an element of being comfortable speaking in front of people and being in the spotlight,” Alex said. “That was a huge advantage—having the confidence and clarity in how I want to present myself and my ideas, and knowing how to speak with conviction.”
A mix of laser focus on important details, openness to wide-ranging opportunities, and the ability to articulate his big ideas shaped Alex’s success. His advice for SAAS students is to follow their own curiosity and sample the incredible range of opportunities available at SAAS and beyond.
“Cast a wide net,” he said. “It opens you up to be endlessly curious.”
SAAS In Focus, Vol. 7 (2025)
Read Seattle Academy's In Focus magazine online!
Learn More About This Program
Post RSS Feeds
Subscribe to Post Alerts
Alumni in Action: Premiere Performances and New Beginnings
Alumni in Action: Launching a Global Fashion Design Agency
Alumni in Action: Creating a Better World for Kids
Alumni in Action: One of SAAS’s First Students Shines on Global Stages
From SAAS Innovations to Business Success
ALL NEWS
Calendar Filter
Calendar RSS Feeds
April
23
,
2026
Music
Reno Jazz Festival
all day
Reno, Nevada
Read More
about Reno Jazz Festival
April
23
,
2026
Block Schedule
Odd 7 Block Schedule
all day
Read More
about Odd 7 Block Schedule
April
23
,
2026
Strategic Planning Committee
Strategic Planning Committee
4
:
00
PM
-
5
:
30
PM
Rob's Office, US Building
Read More
about Strategic Planning Committee
APPLY NOW
At Seattle Academy, we encourage students to try new things and engage in a variety of experiences in order to facilitate personal growth and build community.
Learn More About This Program
The Hub
Share to Facebook
Share to Twitter
Share to LinkedIn
Share to Pinterest
Share to Email
Print this page
Alumni in Action: Launching a Global Fashion Design Agency
March
17
,
2026
Alumni in Action: Launching a Global Fashion Design Agency
Alexander Donald ’14 is one of five alumni speaking at the 2026
SAAS in the City
on March 28.
By:
Sarah-Mae McCullough
, Editorial Content Manager
When Alexander Donald ’14 reflects back on his days at SAAS, one experience jumps out: rehearsing and performing with The Onions.
In SAAS’s premier Jazz Choir I—an arts offering known for award-winning performances and meaningful community—he learned to master complex works with laser-like focus. He practiced building collaborative relationships with other creators and grew more and more confident in the spotlight.
Those are the skills Alex later used to launch a career in a different creative field: fashion. Following his artistic interests throughout college and beyond led him to his current career as a fashion entrepreneur, running his own studio and designing for brands around the world. The sense of curiosity, the commitment to detail, and the confidence to share his work that he nurtured at SAAS all helped fuel his journey.
After SAAS, Alex studied music at Wesleyan University and then apparel design at Seattle Central College. Equipped with the tactical skills to pattern make and sew garments, he landed a job at the brand Brain Dead in Los Angeles. At the LA cultural institution, he became responsible for designing seasonal fashion collections presented twice a year at a Paris fashion show and regularly sold to retailers around the world.
“Seeing people buying and wearing the clothes I made in Paris—that felt like a full circle moment,” he reflected.
A few years into his fashion career, Alex had started working with private clients on the side. With both elevated design expertise and the confidence to share his ideas boldly, he was ready to strike out on his own. The studio he founded a year and a half ago, PGG, now offers design, development, and production services to brands worldwide.
Alex partially credits his studio’s success to the level of discipline and attention to detail he mastered in The Onions. Breaking down complex works note by note, he developed a “deep, deep appreciation and respect for the details,” he said. Now, that translates into inspired, intentional design.
At the same time, SAAS's culture of curiosity and breadth of curriculum—from advanced jazz choirs and studio arts to robotics and speech and debate—encouraged him to explore interests and follow his hunches. SAAS’s
Culture of Performance
helped prepare him to share and advocate for his work and to launch into entrepreneurship.
Throughout his seven years at SAAS, “there was always an emphasis on public speaking, whether it was in American Studies or any other class—there was always an element of being comfortable speaking in front of people and being in the spotlight,” Alex said. “That was a huge advantage—having the confidence and clarity in how I want to present myself and my ideas, and knowing how to speak with conviction.”
A mix of laser focus on important details, openness to wide-ranging opportunities, and the ability to articulate his big ideas shaped Alex’s success. His advice for SAAS students is to follow their own curiosity and sample the incredible range of opportunities available at SAAS and beyond.
“Cast a wide net,” he said. “It opens you up to be endlessly curious.”
SAAS In Focus, Vol. 7 (2025)
Read Seattle Academy's In Focus magazine online!
Learn More About This Program
Post RSS Feeds
Subscribe to Post Alerts
Alumni in Action: Premiere Performances and New Beginnings
Alumni in Action: Launching a Global Fashion Design Agency
Alumni in Action: Creating a Better World for Kids
Alumni in Action: One of SAAS’s First Students Shines on Global Stages
From SAAS Innovations to Business Success
ALL NEWS
Calendar Filter
Calendar RSS Feeds
April
23
,
2026
Music
Reno Jazz Festival
all day
Reno, Nevada
Read More
about Reno Jazz Festival
April
23
,
2026
Block Schedule
Odd 7 Block Schedule
all day
Read More
about Odd 7 Block Schedule
April
23
,
2026
Strategic Planning Committee
Strategic Planning Committee
4
:
00
PM
-
5
:
30
PM
Rob's Office, US Building
Read More
about Strategic Planning Committee
APPLY NOW
At Seattle Academy, we encourage students to try new things and engage in a variety of experiences in order to facilitate personal growth and build community.
Learn More About This Program