Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Tavoukjian.
Hi Victoria, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
So basically, I was in college working on my junior year projects when the pandemic hit and I was devastated when everything, including the school fashion show, was canceled. After finishing up that year I decided to split my senior year into two years by being a part-time student with the hope that I’d be able to fully access our studios by the time that second year rolled around.
So, with that I didn’t have any school sewing projects for a while, but I still wanted to do something with my time. I decided to design little capsules on my own and do photoshoots with friends which were good learning experiences and memories, but now I refer to them as the “dark ages” of Hvy Wthr. Very different time and ethos back then and I’ve definitely come a long way.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been, and it’s still not. I wouldn’t say I’m particularly bad at time management, however, there just never seems to be enough time in the day to get everything I want done. Everything always takes more time than you think it will, especially when you’re one person trying to balance all this on top of a career and social life. I’m also getting older and can’t push my body like I used to in college with all-nighters anymore haha. I was made very aware of my limits the week of my last fashion show, where I stayed up almost every night trying to get things done. I managed to pull through this time, but I don’t think I’ll be able to survive anything like that ever again. As of now, I’m just trying to balance all of my responsibilities as best I can and make any sort of progress whenever I can.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Well, I’d say the unique thing about the way I design clothing is my textile work. I love transforming fabric into something completely new. Usually, this involves screen printing or dyeing fabric, but lately, I’ve loved weaving different scraps together into what’s been described as a “deconstructed take on tweed.” I keep a pretty tight color scheme to make sure things are cohesive, but every inch of the new yardage is unique.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I learned that you can’t always wait for forces outside yourself. I was always the type to let things happen naturally to me, and to an extent, I still believe that’s the only way to achieve authenticity, but unfortunately, the world is so unpredictable and fast that you can’t always wait for signs. The pandemic had stopped everything, so I couldn’t go experience life to find inspiration as I had done prior for my work. I had to learn to be my own inspiration, something I still struggle with.
Contact Info:
- Website: Hvywthr.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hvy_wthr?igsh=MWI0bXU3YnF4Zm5wOQ==
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@HvyWthrLa
Image Credits
Joey Cultice
Andy Webbo
Jason Lee
Sophie Winner
Nat Goldie and Daniel Portillo
