BECOMING Designer Spotlight: Avery Dnistrian
Written by Bailey Young
As a second semester freshman, Avery Dnistrian has taken on the coveted role of being one of The Vault’s many talented designers whose work will be showcased in the spring show: Becoming. While Dnistrian’s custom pieces are familiar to campus (@handmadebyave_ on instagram), Becoming symbolizes her first personal contribution to The Vault. Characterized by its three chapters “Play,” “Pressure” and “Becoming,” the show will take place on Saturday April 18th at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art.
Dnistrian’s look “Buttoned Up,” is unveiled in the first chapter of the show — “Play.” “Play” is the first chapter of Becoming, before the pressure and fear of expectations. It is the core of Becoming that is driven by unfiltered curiosity and imagination with infinite limits. “Play” is who we are intrinsically and who we must not lose sight of as the world around us shifts. Dnistrian’s take on this aspect of Becoming features a shirt, skirt, and headband, completely embellished with buttons of all colors, shapes, and sizes. Dnistrian drew her inspiration from the children’s book The Very Hungry Caterpillar, emphasizing bright colors along with a playful, tactile, and interactive sentiment that one internalizes when thinking about their favorite children’s book.
To construct her masterpiece, Dnistrian started crafting her ideas and patterns for her look months in advance. As a seasoned sewer, Dnistrian took on the challenge of sewing each individual button onto her garment which can be an incredibly tedious process. Dnistrian believes she does her best work during “crunch time.” With other responsibilities like finals and other extracurriculars, it has been motivating for Dnistrian to see her fellow Vault designers working equally as hard as her. The shared late nights in SoHE and endless inspiration has led Dnistrian to recognize that it will all be worth it in the end.
Dnistrian hopes that when people look at her piece they are reminded of their favorite childhood memory. The carefree attitude we all find so nostalgic to childhood is exactly what Dnistrian wants to emulate in her look. She mentions that she does not want it to look so formal and perfect to accentuate how our imperfections make us whole.
The beauty of fashion is that its viewers can interpret it however they please. The show Becoming intends to reinforce the importance of protecting one's inner child. To Dnistrian, Becoming means “getting involved with your personal identity.” While the show walks through the hardships of growing up, Dnistrian decided to focus on specifically childhood. “Childhood is one of the only times where others' opinions don’t matter, you are your own being,” she said. “Buttoned Up” made its way down the runway to remind us that we are exactly where we need to be. Becoming is unlimited.
Edited by Leila Ianovici and Safa Razvi
