Couture Designer Katya Avdeev gives a revealing interview of her world of wonderful and imaginative style.
Katya Avdeev
By Rodney Wayne Branche
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Copa: Katya, where are you from?
Katya: I was born in Belarus, in the Soviet Union. I was born there and came here 10 years ago. |
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Copa: What inspired you to travel to the United States?
Katya: Like a lot of people I was fascinated by the American Dream. I wanted to see if I could make it so I came all alone with only $40 in my pocket.
Copa: Where did you attend school?
Katya: After attending High school back home I wanted to become a teacher but when I got here I attended George Mason University and acquired two degrees, one in Accounting and another in Marketing.
Copa: When did the idea enter your mind to become a clothing designer?
Katya: Well, it started when I began making clothes back home in Belarus at the age of 10 or 11. The first dress I made was from my mother's pillow cases. They weren't able to buy me any fabric, so one day I was all alone and the pillow cases appeared to work well for me. Other people started to like what I made so I started to make more dresses for my friends and family.
Katya: Well, it started when I began making clothes back home in Belarus at the age of 10 or 11. The first dress I made was from my mother's pillow cases. They weren't able to buy me any fabric, so one day I was all alone and the pillow cases appeared to work well for me. Other people started to like what I made so I started to make more dresses for my friends and family.
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Copa: Is there any particular type of clothing that you prefer to design? Katya: I have tried to make many things, Ready to Wear, swimsuits to knitwear. I even made things from fur. The most exciting things was making one of a kind gowns which is "couture.' I make gowns for pageants, galas and proms. I am not a big fan of mass production, My clients don't have to worry about seeing their dresses worn by anyone else ever. |
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Copa: What materials do you prefer working with the most?
Katya: That's a good question. I'm not opposed to anything. There are many different things that can be made from discount fabrics, some were even recycled from vintage fabrics. Sometimes I would remove all of the beading and add my own work to create a new look. It all depends on what I have developed in my own mind. People who don't sew may not understand that creative people will always look at something in a different way.
Photographer: Reggie Bell
Designer: Katya Avdeev
Model: Roxana Elizabeth Rodriguez
MUA: Tina M Iqbal
Event organizer: Tortica Anderson
Copa: What is your basic philosophy to creating your designs and how does it relate to your clients tastes?
Katya: Actually it's the same as my brand's slogan, "Why try to blend in when you were born to 'stand out.' Customers who like my clothes understand that my pieces aren't meant for shy people. The garments are loud and bright, not particularly in color but in their total look. I understand that some people are not like that but let's face it, there are many people who prefer to be the center of attention. But I really think my clothes reflect my personality.
Photo by Simon Bechera.
Models: Levi Strowder and Anna Veshniak
Copa: What is your opinion on Washington, DC style and how it reflects your client's requests?
Katya: Overall, Washington, DC is very conservative in general which is very understandable because it is a political city. At the same time there are those who wish to have glittery more revealing items...those are the one who seek my couture styles. Many people ask my clients where they bought my items because they attract a lot of attention in a good way, they easily figure out that they weren't purchased in DC stores. This is how I attract many of my clients.
Roberto Cavalli
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Copa: Who are some of your favorite fashion designers?
Katya: Roberto Cavalli, he's not afraid of color or sexy styles, I absolutely love his style. The next one is Zuhair Murad, he loves elegant style. |
Zuhair Murad
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Copa: How did you like the "Runway for Life, Every Shoe Counts" event at the Winery at Bull Run earlier this year?
Katya: The show was great, I love working for a charity for a good cause. They were raising funds for "We Will Survive Cancer,"Gayela Bynum is the Chair of the organization. They help families that are effected by cancer. It was quite fabulous, many celebrity guests attended. A great number of pageant girls were wearing my gowns.
(Link to article in Copa Style Magazine) http://www.copastyle.com/runway-for-life-benefit.html
(Link to Gayela Bynum's Story and her non-profit organization,"We Will Survive Cancer.") http://www.copastyle.com/gayela-bynum.html
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Copa: What are your future plans?
Katya: Well, not for the professional part in me but as a person, I have decided to run for the title crown of Mrs. DC America 2016. The pageant will be held in mid March of 2016. The Mrs. DC America Pageant publicly recognizes beautiful married women living and working within a 25 mile radius of Washington, DC who have obtained personal and professional achievements. I have decided to enter not because I believe that I am a beautiful person. I want to empower women, I wish for them to hear my voice. It is very important for women to understand if you need to achieve something...you can! It is also important for me to share that I have been visiting a homeless shelter. Believe it or not I have been homeless at a dark time in my life, for a week I had no place to live. A lot of people have strange misconceptions that all homeless people are using drugs are abusing alcohol and it's all their fault that they find themselves in this position. It is important that the whole world understands that this is not true. I do not smoke cigarettes, and definitely don't use any drugs. Sometimes you don't know how things will hit you...it's life! So I want to show women if you want to achieve something in life, don't let anything stop you.
Professionally I do have more plans in store for the future. There will be more fashion shows locally and it's a very good bet that I will be participating in the 2016 New York Fashion Week.
Copa: How did you get involved with New York Fashion Week 2014?
Katya: Yes, I have participated in DC Fashion Week and I decided that I wanted to step up a bit. As you know, DC is not considered to be a 'fashion forward city, we're about politics and all of that sort of stuff. As far as big fashion is concerned, it's not really here yet. I figured that it would be a good idea to see how my fashion would fit in New York. I noticed that some specific areas of the fashion industry didn't get an event such as a Bridal Fashion Week. I decided to enter the Small Boutique Fashion Week, a fashion show dedicated to small buyers who would want to carry a line which is something that I wished to participate in. I do have a line which is currently being manufactured in New Jersey so hopefully you will see it in stores soon all over America.
Katya: Yes, I have participated in DC Fashion Week and I decided that I wanted to step up a bit. As you know, DC is not considered to be a 'fashion forward city, we're about politics and all of that sort of stuff. As far as big fashion is concerned, it's not really here yet. I figured that it would be a good idea to see how my fashion would fit in New York. I noticed that some specific areas of the fashion industry didn't get an event such as a Bridal Fashion Week. I decided to enter the Small Boutique Fashion Week, a fashion show dedicated to small buyers who would want to carry a line which is something that I wished to participate in. I do have a line which is currently being manufactured in New Jersey so hopefully you will see it in stores soon all over America.
Katya in New York
PORTFOLIO
~Copa