Styles

Avant-garde for women

Bold shapes and new cuts first, from designers like Rick Owens, Margiela and Undercover.

Avant garde fashion is a way of dressing built around sculptural cuts, raw proportions and experimental construction that deliberately break from conventional tailoring. Heavy wool coats and textured linen shirts balance against fluid trousers to establish silhouette before color. Black anchors the palette alongside grey, cream and sand. Monochromatic dressing keeps focus entirely on the balance of drape, weight and sharp lines.

Yohji Yamamoto first showed in Paris in the early eighties, and his clothes are mostly black, with oversized shapes and drapery. Rick Owens, from California, started his label in Los Angeles in the mid nineties and moved to Paris in the early two thousands; he is known for draped clothes and leather jackets. Guidi began as a tannery in Pescia, Tuscany, in the eighteen nineties, and its boots are dyed whole after they are made.

Pleated pants, shirts and structured jackets form the base of this wall. Pair drop crotch trousers with heavy boots to ground the proportions cleanly. WDLT117 in Toronto brings pleated Homme Plisse Issey Miyake and Pleats Please Issey Miyake pieces, Guidi boots and Undercover. Utopia in Toronto brings Rick Owens and Maison Margiela sneakers, and Due West in Toronto brings thom/krom and Masnada.

Guidi 796ZI Back Zip Metal Heel Mid Boot Black, side view, at WDLT117 on within
Guidi
796ZI Back Zip Metal Heel Mid Boot Black
A$2,136Last one
WDLT117
Guidi 796ZI Back Zip Metal Heel Mid Boot White, side view, at WDLT117 on within
Guidi
796ZI Back Zip Metal Heel Mid Boot White
A$2,136Last one
WDLT117
Pleats Please Issey Miyake Mellow Pleats Sleeveless High Neck Dress Charcoal at WDLT117 on within
Pleats Please Issey Miyake
Mellow Pleats Sleeveless High Neck Dress Charcoal
A$1,011
WDLT117
Pleats Please Issey Miyake Classic Pleated Midi-dress Greige at WDLT117 on within
Pleats Please Issey Miyake
Classic Pleated Midi-dress Greige
A$777
WDLT117
Undercover Shadow Curve Trousers Black at WDLT117 on within
Undercover
Shadow Curve Trousers Black
A$1,730Last one
WDLT117
Rick Owens Edfu Bauhaus Cargo Pants Black, front view, at Utopia on within
Rick Owens
Edfu Bauhaus Cargo Pants Black
A$1,019Pre-owned
Utopia
Guidi PL1WZ Stacked Heel Front Zip Dk. Brown, side view, at WDLT117 on within
Guidi
PL1WZ Stacked Heel Front Zip Dk. Brown
A$2,079
WDLT117
Guidi PL1WZ Stacked Heel Front Zip Cobalt Blue, side view, at WDLT117 on within
Guidi
PL1WZ Stacked Heel Front Zip Cobalt Blue
A$833A$2,079
WDLT117
Pleats Please Issey Miyake Pleated Midi-Dress Cool Grey at WDLT117 on within
Pleats Please Issey Miyake
Pleated Midi-Dress Cool Grey
A$1,084
WDLT117
Issey Miyake Palindrome Jumpsuit Black at WDLT117 on within
Issey Miyake
Palindrome Jumpsuit Black
A$1,719A$3,459
WDLT117
Rick Owens FW16 Mastodon Drawstring Cargo Pants Black at Utopia on within
Rick Owens
FW16 Mastodon Drawstring Cargo Pants Black
A$510Pre-owned
Utopia
Rick Owens Cargobelas Cargo Pants Black, front view, at Utopia on within
Rick Owens
Cargobelas Cargo Pants Black
A$815Pre-owned
Utopia
MM6 Maison Margiela Folded Wool Dress Dk. Grey, front view, at WDLT117 on within
MM6 Maison Margiela
Folded Wool Dress Dk. Grey
A$1,402
WDLT117
MM6 Maison Margiela Jacquard Midi Dress Green at WDLT117 on within
MM6 Maison Margiela
Jacquard Midi Dress Green
A$989A$2,240Last one
WDLT117
Undercover Wool Languid Jacket Black at WDLT117 on within
Undercover
Wool Languid Jacket Black
A$2,814Last one
WDLT117
Undercover Shawl-lapel Bomber jacket Black at WDLT117 on within
Undercover
Shawl-lapel Bomber jacket Black
A$1,145A$1,662Last one
WDLT117
MM6 Maison Margiela Anatomic Ankle Boots Black, side view, at WDLT117 on within
MM6 Maison Margiela
Anatomic Ankle Boots Black
A$1,407
WDLT117
Coperni Bridge Boot Brown, side view, at WDLT117 on within
Coperni
Bridge Boot Brown
A$833A$1,407
WDLT117
Undercover Relaxed-fit Trousers Black, front view, at WDLT117 on within
Undercover
Relaxed-fit Trousers Black
A$2,438Last one
WDLT117
Rick Owens Stefan Cargo Pant Heavy Faille Black at Utopia on within
Rick Owens
Stefan Cargo Pant Heavy Faille Black
A$1,019
Utopia
Song for the Mute Deconstructed Bomber Army Green at WDLT117 on within
Song for the Mute
Deconstructed Bomber Army Green
A$1,350Last one
WDLT117
Song for the Mute Flight Jacket W Camel worn by a model, at WDLT117 on within
Song for the Mute
Flight Jacket W Camel
A$1,511
WDLT117
RUOHAN Skara Jacket Dune in Beige at WDLT117 on within
RUOHAN
Skara Jacket Dune
A$1,511
WDLT117
Song for the Mute Daisy Oversized Coat W Brown at WDLT117 on within
Song for the Mute
Daisy Oversized Coat W Brown
A$1,720
WDLT117

Common questions

What defines avant garde fashion?
Unconventional patterns, deconstructed hems and sculptural silhouettes separate these clothes from standard commercial tailoring. Proportion and textile texture take precedence over seasonal trends.
How do you wear avant garde fashion?
Anchor your look with one sculptural piece, such as wide trousers or a deconstructed jacket, and keep the remaining layers simple. Stick to black or muted shades so the cut remains central.
Which designers shaped avant garde fashion?
Yohji Yamamoto, who first showed in Paris in the early eighties, is known for oversized, draped clothes, mostly in black. Issey Miyake developed a way of pleating clothes in a heat press after they are cut and sewn, the method behind Pleats Please. Rick Owens, an American designer based in Paris, is known for draped clothes and leather jackets.