Alexandra Hackett, or Miniswoosh as she’s better known, hasn’t let the coronavirus crisis stop her creativity. Instead, the young designer — who heads up Studio ALCH — has expanded her portfolio, creating homeware essentials such as her Nike-inspired rugs. 

Never one to shy away from a challenge, Miniswoosh has picked up a host of new hobbies and ways to stay productive. The Australia native has also found a cure for homesickness, and makes sure she doesn’t go without a new pair of Nike sneakers, or two. 

What’s your daily routine?

I wake up at 7.30 a.m., have breakfast and catch up on the news and practice Spanish for half an hour or so. Then I’ll usually stretch and go for a run — I’m training for a half-marathon at the moment! The actual race got postponed, but I’m just going to do a test race anyway. After my run, I’ll get started in the “studio,” working on some personal projects or completing some of my coursework. I’m using this time to complete an online MBA Essentials course at LSE. I usually finish up around 5 p.m., cook dinner and then read a book. I’m trying to steer clear of watching too much TV at the moment.

Where in your home do you like to work?

I’m lucky enough to have a spare bedroom in my flat, so I’ve turned that into a make-shift studio. I have my Mac, a couple of sewing machines and my rug tufting gear in there.

What do you wear while working from home?

I try to dress up occasionally but usually, I’m just in either a full Nike tracksuit or some silk pajamas.

How do you stay in a good headspace in isolation?

I’m just keeping myself busy and using this time as a chance to catch up on a lot of projects I’ve been wanting to start and/or finish for a long time. Running puts me in a really good mental space to start my day too.

What are you listening to and doing for fun?

I’ve been feeling quite nostalgic lately so I’ve been listening to Triple J (an Australian radio station). For fun, I’ve been tufting rugs! It’s a new skill that I taught myself, so I’m still learning but it’s really fun to do something out of my comfort zone.

What have you been inspired by while working from home?

Nike is a constant source of inspiration, and also a lot of my books that I’ve collected over the years. This time has been a great opportunity to go through my shelves.

How are you enjoying your sneakers at the moment?

That’s a hard one because I’m mostly just wearing running shoes at the moment! With that said though, I have picked up a couple of pairs — the new Aqua Rifts and the OG Silver Spiridon Cage — which I’ve worn when I go on my weekly supermarket run. Naturally, they’re in mint condition having been worn mostly inside, so I’m not complaining about that. I usually rinse my trainers as soon as I get them!