Oops!…she did it once more—or one thing like that. Avavav’s Beate Karlsson charmed and challenged the style institution afresh with an offbeat present format—however let’s be clear, there was no oops issue concerned. In actual fact, the chances of this small, women-led firm primarily based in Stockholm making waves in one of many massive 4 cities are near none. And so the designer (who skilled in New York and labored for Pyer Moss earlier than returning to Europe) has turned her level of distinction, particularly her digital fluency, right into a defining side of her model.
Avavav shouldn’t be the one millennial or Gen Alpha model talking on to its peer viewers (see Useless, for instance), however Karlsson is exclusive in her use of style as a two-way mirror. Her designs are informal: principally denims, assertion T-shirts, and streetwear—with a distinction. Her shoulderless hoodies, worn Conehead model, have been very influential, as have her finger sneakers, wherein Rick Owens has been photographed out and about. Denim is available in attention-grabbing washes, and an elephant-leg impact is created by tucking the flared bottoms of the pants.
Karlsson, like many designers this season, turned her consideration to sports activities. Her motivation was a collaboration with Adidas. “It’s been a dream of mine to collaborate with them, particularly,” she stated on a name. She “devoted the present to the partnership as a result of it’s a massive deal for us and lots of the appears are going to be exhibiting the product that we’ve made with them.” This is an enormous deal, as a result of not solely is Avavav a comparatively small enterprise, however as a result of nonetheless, in 2024, there are so few girls invited into the streetwear house. And, because the designer famous, “There are lots of attention-grabbing issues that may come from bringing female attributes into streetwear.” She proved that at the moment.
To border the collaboration, Karlsson held her present in a sports activities area. The idea was that the fashions would “compete” to beat the world document within the 100 meters. The tagline: “Excessive style and low efficiency.” For Avavav followers, the fashions’ stumbling will really feel like a reference to the viral spring 2023 present at which each mannequin fell (on function). Though solely a bit of the observe was used, the selection of occasion and the total oval might simply be learn as a metaphor for the style business as an entire and the circularity, inwardness, and repetition of its set cycles. Karlsson does discover some irony in style’s pursuit of athleticism, however she was coming from a extra benign mindset. “There’s lots of curiosity and seriousness and guidelines throughout the style business, and there’s lots of seriousness and guidelines inside sports activities as effectively, so it’s been enjoyable to attempt to combine them,” she stated.
