How AVANT Began.

AVANT was founded in 2018 by a small group of abstract minded fashion students in Kent, Ohio. Frustrated with the commerciality of their fashion program, the students often daydreamed and joked about having their own DIY fashion show where they could do whatever they wanted.

Jag Ashcraft posed the idea of an absurdist fashion event, and Evan Neal made avant-garde runway playlists and practiced his walk. Meanwhile, Dani Bennett and Brandon Yarchuck were deliriously working towards a BFA degree in Fashion Design. In order to graduate with a BFA, the students’ work had to be accepted into the university’s annual fashion show, which felt highly exclusive. They were nervous that their experimental work wouldn’t be included. With one month left of school, Bennett’s body of designs were rejected from the annual fashion show. Not knowing how to cope, Bennett concluded the only option was to turn the daydream into a reality and produce an entirely independent fashion show.

Bennett worked closely with Neal. They encouraged artists to submit their wildest designs, and agreed that no work would be rejected. 

Bennett toured her dream venue, a mysterious Masonic Center in the middle of town. The man who owned the space skeptically said if they could plan a show in under a month, he would host it. Bennett accepted that as a challenge.

After locking in the venue, everything fell into place. Jag Ashcraft, Brandon Yarchuck, Kevin Williams, Hana Barkowitz, and Adam Martin soon became a part of the Core Team in addition to Neal and Bennett, taking the production to the next level. Designers were quick to apply.

The Core Team orchestrated a photoshoot with the intention of documenting every design to be printed in a physical Lookbook. The day turned into a creative meet-up. While the outfits were being photographed by Dani Bennett for the Lookbook, Benjamin Bartling, Paige Marguilles, Adam Martin, and many other photographers captured the electricity of the day by shooting editorial style photography behind the scenes.

The punk rock energy generated quite some buzz and controversy around campus. 

When show day rolled around, The Team brimmed with nervous excitement wondering what the turnout would be. To their surprise, the show sold out almost as quickly as they could open the doors. The Team made a standing area on the lawn for excess audience members and re-routed the models’ choreography just minutes before the show.

AVANT; An Aberration shared the work of over 30 designers and incorporated 80+ models. The show was planned and executed in under one month.

The Team kept the momentum going and revived the event for a second year. The show carried the spirit and structure of the first, but with a whole new feel and a bigger scope—AVANT Deux virtually doubled in size. The Lookbook Shoot took place over the course of two magical days. The event was produced by a small team consisting of original and new team members. Evan Neal, Sage Dye, Dani Bennett, Caris Kuhn, Ella Zurawski, Adam Martin, Benjamin Bartling, Rachel Christian, Abigail Donahue, and Jag Ashcraft. Follow this link to watch AVANT Deux and learn more.