The Golden Butterfly: AU VYDA’s Fall 2014 Collection Brings Dramatic Flair to Fashion
Fall 2014 AU VYDA collection. Photo Credit: AU VYDA.
Saying that fashion has “flair” is one of the most tired clichés one can use. It’s staid, horribly overused, and rather than exciting, it is oftentimes dreary. In short, it’s a lazy descriptor used by equally lazy fashion journalists.
But AU VYDA is one of those labels that truly has flair. Utilizing bold cuts and none-too-subtle colors, designer Davy Yang’s fall 2014 collection is for the confident, elegant, artistic woman who knows her clothes will help her get noticed, but not in an overly ostentatious way.
Rich reds, glowing golds, bright blues and other eye-catching colors that one might find in an oil painting are a particular strength of this collection, which features a variety of separates that also make extensive use of the double collar. AU VYDA aspires to combine the timeless aspects of nature with the transient touch of human modernity, a goal Yang certainly seems to have achieved with the wide-ranging assortment of garments, partially inspired by Bernini’s famous marble sculpture “Apollo and Daphne.”
Internationally housed in Hong Kong, the UK, New York and Paris, while basing its headquarters in Los Angeles, AU VYDA has dressed various celebrities, including Andie MacDowell, Adrienne Maloof of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Golnesa “GG” Gharachedaghi of the reality show Shahs of Sunset, and more.
GALO recently had a chance to catch up with Yang to discuss AU VYDA. Here’s what he had to say.
GALO Magazine: AU VYDA’s fall 2014 line seems to blend modernity and timelessness seamlessly through bold cuts and unique patterns. What specifically inspires you when designing a collection?
Davy Yang: I start with culture — motifs, patterns and style — to create the initial inspiration when I start a collection. I usually like to set up a storyline to blend elements together, so color play and cut gets worked into the collection at that point.
GALO: What is the design process like for you?
DY: The design process is honestly the easiest part for me. I usually sketch an initial idea down and go to the mannequins to drape. I spend most of my design process in front of a form and in front of a sewing machine.
Fall 2014 AU VYDA collection. Photo Credit: AU VYDA.
GALO: Before having found AU VYDA, how did you get your start in fashion? Have you always had an interest in it?
DY: The funniest part of my “start” in fashion was that I originally wanted to go into business marketing. I saw an Oscar de la Renta ad in Vogue one week, before all of my college applications were due, and I decided that I wanted to be in fashion. I spent four months making an art portfolio — from drawing a circle to drawing full human figures — and was admitted into an art institute.
GALO: I understand some inspiration for the fall 2014 line came from your travels through Europe and an imagined Bernini’s “Apollo and Daphne’ in a Cabinet of Curiosities.” Could you tell me a little about that?
DY: I was always fascinated with the Baroque [period] and Greek mythology, and so, I thought it would be the perfect blend to incorporate Bernini’s (Baroque) “Apollo and Daphne” (Greek mythology) as one of the motifs for the fall collection. The collection plays heavily on organic forms — draping, texture, and bright colors versus earth tones — alluding to the story of Apollo and Daphne, while the styling and cut of the garments refers to an almost Gothic [art] approach. The two [varieties] blend, plus the styling on set promotes the concept of a broken doll found lying in a Cabinet of Curiosity.
Fall 2014 AU VYDA collection. Photo Credit: AU VYDA.
GALO: You also worked as an assistant to the creative director of Oscar de la Renta. What was that like?
DY: My experience at Oscar de la Renta was the artistic and design turning point in my life. I learned everything from structure to draping from them — I had to completely break down everything I knew originally from school and relearn everything.
GALO: Your latest collection makes extensive use of the double collar. Why double collars?
DY: I have always been fascinated with the kimono. The kimono has an interior piece with a collar and an exterior piece with a separate collar called the “eri.” I was always interested in layering and found this concept to be quite interesting.
