Avant Gaudy on The Coveted!

Jennine from The Coveted visited the Avant Gaudy showroom this week.  Check out an exerpt from her interview with Deborah and see a sneak peek of some of Avant Gaudy’s favorite fall looks:

One of the things I missed the most when I was abroad was easy access to vintage clothing. I missed some of my local shops, and online, well many of the ones I love are located stateside (though not all!) When I came to Chicago, honestly, there’s not been much time to visit shops, we’re looking for a place to live, and me, I’m looking for work… but luckily enough, we got in touch with Chicago-based online vintage retailer, Avant Gaudy. Founded by Deb Umunnabuike (pictured on the left) in 2005, Avant Gaudy started out from a love for vintage, for integrating found pieces and wearing them in modern ways. this has translated into her shop philosophy:

“modern vintage” clothing: garments with some history that represent the best of today’s fashion and trends. Our fashion philosophy is all-encompassing: anyone can look good, and looking good does not equate spending a lot of money nor a lot of time in a shopping mall.’

Behind the scenes the shop has grown, with two buyers searching high and low for great pieces, they pool their resources together to create ‘collections’  based on runway trends, magazines, and style blogs like Hel Looks and The Sartorialist and fashion news sites like WWD to find inspiration. One of the advantages of going to Avant Gaudy’s is to see the ways they interpret vintage and relate it to the most recent of today’s trends… and for pretty cheap too, most pieces run about the $25-$50 range which for edited vintage pieces is quite a steal!

Check out the rest of the article on The Coveted to see more photos of our fall looks and even an exclusive photo of our latest editorial photo shoot.

Fashion in My Eyes Interview with Deborah!

Check out this interview with Deborah, co-owner of Avant Gaudy, featured on Fashion in My Eyes.  Be sure to check out the amazing blog, or take a look at the interview reposted here:

Avant Gaudy is a chic online boutique, where you can find “vintage modern,modern vintage” clothes and accessories.
I asked Deb Umunnabuike, one of the Avant Gaudy founders, some questions about herself and about Avant Gaudy.

You are the co-founder of Avant Gaudy,tell us more about yourself.

I’m also a Political Science major at the University of Chicago, so I’ve often got a recent WWD and also something written by Foucault in my purse. My sister, Jessica, and I started Avant Gaudy in the summer of 2005 in order to keep ourselves busy. Beyond that, I really wanted to connect with and impact the lives of those who were as passionate about fashion as we were, and are. An online store seemed like a perfect way to reach fashionistas all over the world.

Why Avant Gaudy and not another name?

Avant Gaudy is a play off of the word avant garde, which was a movement that embraced forward thinking, literature, art, and fashion. We select clothing that is fashion forward and yet also has a tinge of gaudiness in the sense that an Avant Gaudy girl or guy is both modern and playful.

How do you pick the items for the store?

All items are sourced from across the United States. We have a full-time team of buyers who dedicate themselves to researching trends and matching these trends up with vintage fashion. Our buyers are intuitive and creative – they know a good find when they see one.

What are your favorite pieces on Avant Gaudy right now?
This silver lame dress was featured on NotCouture,as was this vintage Diane von Furstenberg one.Jumpsuits, meanwhile, are on trend right now, and are edgy yet feminine

What do you love most about fashion?

Fashion allows an ordinary day to be extraordinary. Even if a person does enjoy and choose to follow trends, there’s still so much room for individuality. Vintage fashion is the best way to express your individuality – because of its scarcity, every piece is a rare link to the past that fits easily into a modern wardrobe example:

How do you see yourself and Avant Gaudy 10 years for now?

I’d like Avant Gaudy to expand and become even more of an international business than it already has. With the social media explosion, we feel like the time is right to connect with as many people as possible who share our interest in modern vintage. Additionally, I’d eventually like for our brand to serve as a platform for up and coming designers from across the world to showcase their takes on vintage through reconstructions and vintage-inspired looks.

Shoes!

Get ready for fall or back-to-school! Check out some of our newest vintage shoes at Avant Gaudy, including boots, heels, flats and vintage sneakers!

California Vintage: Hillcrest, San Diego

San Diego is unique as a California city, lacking the pretension of LA and the cold fog of San Francisco. Still, the laid-back nature and temperate climate are only part of why I love it here so much. To me, San Diego is a vintage city, always drawing on its past to create a unique and eclectic future. Maybe I just like my city like I like my closet.

There is something to be said about each neighborhood and borough within San Diego, but the one I keep coming back to is Hillcrest. This is where I find the best food, theatre, and people…and shopping. From the premier vintage at Wear It Again Sam to the fantastic thrifitng at Flashbacks, the thoroughfare of Fifth Avenue represents the best in California style, and San Diego attitude.

Anything goes here. Style is an experiment in the bold, and the attempt is appreciated as much as the result:

Frocks and leggings are good, a trapeze dress is better. A closet staple since the ’60s, their simple silhouettes make them a perfect day-to-night…even better for beach to city.

Shorts are a necessity for the sunny summer days, and can be dressed up, dressed down, or completely customized. A classic casual with a t-shirt or tunic, and a cropped jacket for a bit of texture. Sandals are nice, and so are heels, but I’ve been told they work best as a team; along with big, colorful accessories.

It’s not that any of this is unique, it’s the way it all comes together. Colors and textures take president over cut and silhouette, and more often than not, too much is just about right. The fashion I find in Hillcrest represents the best of what the neighborhood has to offer: diversity, a willingness to stand out, and the perfect mixture between casual and vibrant.

That’s my preview into the best San Diego has to offer. More to come as I begin writing for Avant Gaudy. I’m excited to see what’s to come!

Vintage Vegan

Hey guys! My name is Mary. I recently graduated from Northwestern University, and although the school isn’t known at all for any kind of fashion studies, I tried to do the best I could at taking classes related to fashion and style. I have a deep love for fashion, but the industry often collides with some of my values. I’ve been a dietary vegan for over two years now, and over the past couple of months, I’ve been transitioning to a much more vegan lifestyle overall. This means no more leather, no more wool, no more silk.

Well, I’m not into that frumpy, granola look that is usually associated with vegans. Many other vegans are not either, and believe it or not, there is a place in fashion for vegans. As the population of vegans grows, so does the demand for stylish vegan clothing. Stella McCartney is probably the leader in vegan fashion, and there are other celebrities, like Natalie Portman, who have also put out cool vegan lines.

But there is another way to dress vegan without having to be sure of the materials used to make a garment. You guessed it: vintage fashion. While there is some debate among vegans about used clothing made from animal products, I think it’s okay because you’re supporting an industry that doesn’t ask for new clothing to be made, including clothes made from animal products. Vintage fashion is also great because it’s eco-friendly, a value that is important to many vegans, including myself.

For these reasons, I am getting more and more into vintage fashion, and I am very excited to start writing for Avant Gaudy!

Fashion Spoons, Cooked Two Different Ways

Check out this neat spoon collection by designer Jurgen Lehl.

Who is Lehl, you might ask? Gius  from The Fashion Spot says that aside from fashion, Lehl also “designs various items ranging from furniture and tableware to jewelry, [who] above all else …tries not to create ‘unnecessary or useless things.'”

Liehl adds, “I don’t want to make things which will harm nature or be environmentally unfriendly. As far as I create things, I try to make things that will last for a long time.”

That’s what we say about vintage. Fantastic, Lehl.

On a mostly unrelated note, here is a great photoshoot titled “Spoon”
by Kristian Schuller:

Get the Look: Bust Out the Blazer

At Avant Gaudy we firmly believe you can reinvent your style without restocking your closet.  Here’s how you can turn that classic blazer into a fresh new look.

Inspiration: Louis Vuitton Fall 2009 Trends

Avant Gaudy Collection: Material Girl Bra & Back to Basics Blazer

How to Style It: Pair a lacy brassiere with your favorite blazer for an instant masculine/feminine mash-up.  Button up the blazer for a confident and sexy look.  Plunge it open for the after party.

Price: Material Girl Bra $48.00 & Back to Basics Blazer $45.00

I showed you mine, now you show me yours. Tell me about your favorite way to make an old piece look new again!

New Dresses on avantgaudy.com!

We’ve just updated Avant Gaudy with 24+ new dresses!  Go check them out now before you miss out on one of these one of a kind dresses!

There are even more dresses for you to check out… Take a look!

Fashion Sustainability Vintage Sale

This Saturday only, you have the chance to buy some of your favorite Avant Gaudy shoes and accessories, available for purchase during the Fashion Sustainability Vintage Sale at Heaven Gallery. You’ll have a first look at some of our newest shoes and accessories! And you can find unique and sustainable vintage clothing and accessories from other vintage dealers!

Avant Gaudy will be one of several retailers at this event, held on Saturday and Sunday, August 8-9,  from 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Don’t forget: Avant Gaudy will ONLY be there on SATUDAY!

 

Other vintage designers and dealers include Style 4 Food, Sarah Katherine Green, Max & Chloe, Lum, Nicole Blaje and Renovar.

Location: Heaven Gallery
             1550 N. Milwaukee Ave.
             Chicago, IL

You can learn more and RSPV to Heaven Gallery’s Fashion Sustainability Vintage Sale here!

Will we see you at the vintage sale on Satuday?

Meet the “Gaudy” Guys: Vincent

Get to know Vincent, the co-owner and creative director of Avant Gaudy.

Personal aspirations/hopes:
Run a fashionable online vintage clothing store.

Professional goals:
Let Avant Gaudy be as cool as the Renaissance Society.

Favorite movies?
Little Miss Sunshine and El Topo.

What T.V. shows are you currently watching/still addicted to?
Nature documentaries

What kind of music do you like? What bands are you listening to?
Fantastic Mainstream, Milt Jackson Orchestra

Favorite/essential book?
House of Stairs by William Sleator

What do you like to do for fun?
Make cupcakes, stews and barbecues

Things you love? (People, places, things, etc…)
Bjork, Sonar, Gaudi’s architecture

Favorite Designer?
Rei Kawakubo

Favorite fashion/beauty magazine?
Visionaire 48 Magic

Favorite clothing item/accessory that you own?
Vintage YSL shirt

How would you describe your personal style? 
The Emperor’s New Clothes

What is your most recent purchase?
Zamorano cheese and Pâte de coings

Guilty pleasure?
Making meals that take a long time to cook

What are you an expert of/random knowledge?
Issues on antitrust, general equilibrium, hedge funds, anti-Keynesian economics

Favorite Food?
Grilled Sardine Sandwiches by the Bosphorous River

What web site do you have to check everyday?
Women’s Wear Daily

Favorite Famous/Inspirational Quote:
Make mistakes.

What is your favorite item from Avant Gaudy?
Khaki Jumpsuit