AVANA Vietnam

AVANA Vietnam was established in 2010. The AVANA brand creates original garments and accessories in close collaboration with local artisans in Central Vietnam. AVANA’s visions to dispel boundaries. The gender-fluid garments are easily worn by people of all shapes and backgrounds. All these one-off pieces empower men and women alike while bridging Contemporary Fashion and the Crafts of Artisans. Aldegonde Van Alsenoy aka Ava, creative director of AVANA, started her fashion curriculum by trying to solve unemployments problem of refugees in the suburbs of the city of Antwerp. Between 1997 and 2006, together with the textile designer Nele De Bock and a team of 6 weavers, she ran a weaving workshop called BETET SKARA. The team of gifted weavers, (Assyrian refugees), produced handwoven trimmings for international designers, such as Dries Van Noten, Haider Ackerman, and Christian Wijnants. Betet Skara launched 2000 their own accessory brand successfully in the Paris showrooms. Ava moved to Vietnam in 2006. In 2012, Ava and Nele’s re-started a weaving design collaborating with the COTU weavers in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The designers witnessed their bead weaving techniques and became inspired. In 2014 they launched - CO’TU,RE - a cultural fashion collection. CO’TU,RE combines contemporary design aesthetics with the intricate backstrap weaving technique of the COTU. This fusion creates rare and unique high-end designs. Today CO’TU,RE is represented in 5-star resorts across Vietnam, and collaborates in pop-up events, as well as being available online.