Crossword Genius

Made as if he'd no alternative (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

fashioned

'made' is the definition.
(fashioning is a kind of making)

'as if he'd no alternative' is the wordplay.
'alternative' indicates an anagram (an alternative ordering of the letters).
'as'+'if'+'hed'+'no'='asifhedno'
'asifhedno' with letters rearranged gives 'FASHIONED'.

(Another definition for fashioned that I've seen is " Did model".)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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