PHOTO CREDITS
STYLING: JEAN PIERRE GODINEAUX
fashioN: Indie True by Cassandra Youngs, Dee Serret
SHOES: Valembrun
MAKE-UP: Macarena Darsie
hair: yasmin
model: WIOLA GAIDA
ASSISTANT: jon gacela
photographer: flávio iryoda
location host: yasmin dominican stylist
This assertion is based on the idea that there is a single traditional high-fashion point of view that sits in glorious and jealous judgment of anything that reeks of chaos. Is there truthfully a tiny band of daring creative pioneers, huddled in some corner of the cultural world somewhere, who surreptitiously create break-through fashion for the hungry and desperate masses? Probably not. Shockingly, there are divergent interpretations of what the Avant-Garde style is and what is its purpose. There are skeptics in the fashion world who sneer at the term Avant-Garde and contemptuously peer at these self-proclaimed designers as subversive maniacs pitching hideous clothes to the sheep.
But one must admit the skeptics may have a point; not so long ago, there was an outpouring of hysterical adoration for Vetement’s DHL T-shirt, which allowed anyone with 185 British pounds to look like a manual laborer. There is a charm in seeing elitists salivate over a garment so prosaic and easily attainable on the DHL website. You have to wonder if Georgian-born 34-year-old Gvasalia was belly laughing as Vetement’s name skyrocketed to the top of the fashion heap. However, you also must admire their ability to pinpoint that indelible need to laugh at fashion while still being an intricate part of it.
Nonetheless, artistic designers who yearn to be considered “Avant-Garde” are constantly attempting to find a new way to define beauty, a new way to use fabric, or even a new way to mock an elitist and primarily middle- and upper-class aesthetic. In our opinion at Avessa? That is leadership. Not every Avant-Garde artist will succeed, and many will create cringe-worthy crap. But we would never dissuade these brave artists from giving up. For this editorial, Avessa wanted to highlight the sub-genre Avante-Garde streetwear. This style is typically bold fashion, artistic, and extravagant. This genre is aligned with “street culture,” which is rebellious and emphasizes strength and power. It requires quite a bit of courage to achieve Avant-Garde streetwear as it experiments with contrasts in shapes, volumes, fabrics, and colors to give way to unique silhouettes. Skeptics believe that Avant-Garde translates to a rejection of mainstream beauty conventions such as displayed in haute couture and is often seen as “anti-fashion.”
In truth, Avant-Garde is a philosophy that encourages trial and error and whose goals yearn to break the accepted mold of beauty. Are all these designs beautiful? No. But that is not the point; Avant-garde designers are not ahead of trends—they’re immune to them. Avessa wanted to explore the idea of combining unique fashion combinations in decidedly unattractive locations. At least in the conventional sense. Some may consider garbage and rat poop gorgeous, but I contend the majority do not. These beautiful clothes, accessories, and model showed that beauty can be unconventional and can still shine, even viewed through the dirty tin cans.
