Designer profile: Ava Catherside

8^th January 2012

Hannah Balsdon

Hannah Balsdon

8 January 2012

Let me introduce you to another avant-garde minimalist brand, Ava Catherside.

Ava Catherside is an experimental London based label founded by designers Anna Gloria Flores and Veronica Todisco. Flores and Todisco have taken minimalism to its extreme; all their pieces are derived from a basic t-shirt pattern and make little allowance for size or gender. All this endows their designs with a seemingly cold even clinical air, which in turn makes the clothing ruthlessly stripped of all detailing and ornament.

I would however argue in favour of this strict minimalism which actually bestows an immense sense of freedom on the wearer; these are the clothes one wears rather than pieces that one is worn by. Moreover, brands like Ava Catherside act as very pleasant antidotes to mainstream fashion in this evermore wasteful world of fast fashion and seasonal trends. The great thing about well-designed minimalist clothing is that it can be worn again and again; an Ava Catherside piece could quite happily sit in your wardrobe for decades to come. Indeed, the designs are so futuristic that I find it hard to imagine a time when they will look old fashioned.

Having said that, it must be noted that the brand does have a distinctly sporty feel, which, with the Olympics looming on the horizon, is one of the hot trends for this coming year. Personally, I would shy away from calling it sportswear, partly due to my aversion towards sports in general and the fashion it spawns, and also because, despite their minimalism, none of the designs really exhibit the streamlined, scientific practicality associated with the attire worn by your average fitness fanatic.

Nevertheless, some of the designs would be perfect for channelling a clean-lined, sport inspired chic. However, I predict that Ava Catherside designs will have a much longer shelf life than this year’s games.

Hannah Balsdon