Avila By DN is the effortlessly cool and sexy clothing line you have seen all over your Instagram feed. If you follow supermodels Kaia Gerber and Bella Hadid then you have seen the fashionable pieces in action.
The items are elevated and perfected takes on simple staples, that make you feel amazing when you wear them. Each product is cut to enhance a woman’s figure and make you look and feel your best. The styles are always current and within 6 weeks concepts are turned into products. Avila by DN is supporting working women by using independent seamstresses in America.
HOLR’S Fashion Editor chatted with Avila By DN’s founder, Dawn, on starting the brand, must-have pieces and the hype.
1) What was your inspiration behind starting the brand?
Since I was little I’ve always loved fashion. I remember when I was younger I would take my little blankie and wrap it around myself to create different ‘dresses’, and I would walk around the house in them hahaha. And I’ve always had a natural affinity with anything that required me to create with my hands. I taught myself how to draw, paint, knit, make my own jewelry, all of that. I just loved to create. I’ve always found it fascinating that you can start with something and turn it into something completely different, that had never existed in the world before the moment that you created it. Eventually as I got older the desire to create and my love for fashion lead me to fashion design. So in a way, I don’t really think there was a single thing that served as inspiration for starting the brand… it was just something that came naturally to me. Like this is what I was supposed to do.
2) What do you think are 3 pieces every girl must have in their closet?
A mid length silk slip is an absolute staple for me because they’re just so low maintenance and effective. I could get up in the morning with no makeup and hair that I haven’t even brushed yet, but if I throw on a nice knee length slip dress I’ll instantly go from a -2 to at least a 7.
I think a good pair of straight cut jeans that fit you well are a must. Skinny jeans are too uncomfortable to wear all day, boyfriend jeans can’t be worn too often without everyone asking why you only own one pair of jeans, but straight cut gives you that perfect balance.
The last thing, I would say, is just a plain white tee shirt that fits you well. I know it’s so boring but you can really wear it with anything, however you want. Your closet just wouldn’t be complete without one.
3) What is something you would like to change about the fashion industry?
Fashion is really glamorous at a glance, but at the root it can really be dark and dirty. Things like being ethical, transparent, and environmentally conscious are all important to me.
As a smaller brand it’s much more difficult to be ethical and eco-friendly while still being profitable. Everyone wants brands to be more ethically responsible, but not everyone will pay for the premium price that comes with it. That’s why you see so many smaller brands that have good intentions kind of just fade away and disappear over time. But we do our best where we can.
All of our clothing is made locally in Toronto by skilled workers who are paid fair wages. This is much more expensive than manufacturing overseas, but I think it’s important to hold yourself to a high standard – and stick to it – if you want others to follow suite. We have eliminated almost all single use plastics from our packaging – 95% of our packaging is made from recycled paper products, which only take a year to decompose. By 2020 I want that number to be 100%.
I’m always trying to find ways to improve where we can, but I think the little things can sometimes make the biggest difference. As an industry we really need to collectively raise our standards with regards to ethical and environmental responsibility. But no one can make a long lasting change alone – we all need to do it together.
4) How does it feel to see so many celebrities wearing Avila by DN?
It’s so surreal! When people choose to wear Avila, no matter who they are, it always means a lot to me because I see it differently than most people do. I think most people just view it was a part of their daily outfit with little significance. But for me, when someone wears my clothes, I feel like it’s an honor almost that they’ve chosen my clothing to be what they wear as they go through life that day. It’s hard to explain but I really do believe that clothes are just so personal whether we’re aware of it or not – they’re an extension of who we are. I’ve been doing this for over three years and it’s still so crazy to think that there are girls out there who like something I designed so much that they bought it and wear it in their day to day life. That still blows my mind, so you can imagine how surreal it is to me when it’s a celebrity that wears it – I almost can’t believe it.
5) What can we expect from Avila by DN in the near future?
I don’t want to give anything away, but we’re working on a lot of things that I’m so excited about. I started the brand when I was really young, before I had truly found myself. And I’m always rediscovering myself of course, but this brand is something that’s been evolving with me and will continue to do so, which I think is so exciting. That’s all I’m gonna say!
Shop the brand at on their website, avilabydn.com.
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