Prototype Issue
Fashion Design Duo Draws on Mexican Roots
By Alison W. Tully
(page 1 of 1)RTLA recently caught up with NoHo designers Tony Aguilar and Vanessa Alonso, who are in the midst of preparing to open their Arts District clothing store.
Flipping through a Mayan-inspired magazine at Figaro Café in Los Feliz, ton Y van van designers Alonso and Aguilar garner inspiration for their eclectic pieces.
“That’s what inspires me,” said Aguilar, 22, pointing to a picture of a Mexican woman dressed in brightly colored fabric. “That’s what I want to emulate in my designs.” Although both designers were born in LA, Alonso, 25, moved to Mexico when she was 13 years old and Aguilar spent the majority of his summers there.
Alonso moved back to LA to attend North Hollywood High, where Aguilar was also a student. The two never met in high school, but after graduating, they both returned to Mexico; Alonso studied fashion at the Universidad Univer, a private school in Guadalajara, and Aguilar, who is self-taught, traveled for a year. It took a chance encounter at an LA rock concert for the two to finally meet.
RTLA: How do you preserve inherent cultural values in your designs?
Alonso: A lot of designers are too basic. Like with a turban, for example, we try to figure out why people are wearing them and why it’s important to the person and their culture.
RTLA: How does Mexican culture influence your designs?
Alonso: We meet little Mexican women who clean houses, at thrift stores while buying fabric. These women are so powerful. They work all day and then come home and make dinner and take care of their family. They really inspire me to be what I want to be. Our childhood memories in Mexico and family members give us inspiration for our photo shoots. I told Tony that a great idea for one would be Tony’s Bud-drinking, gold-teeth-wearing uncle. I think we should take a picture of him with our designs, holding a tray of diamonds and surrounded by supermodels.
RTLA: What’s your menswear collection about?
Aguilar: Our goal is to keep it basic, but give pieces extra flair. I’d like to take a colored shirt and add wooden buttons. We walk the fine line between edgy and casual. We want to make designs that are not cookie-cutter, and [that] make people say to themselves, “Whoa, why is this getting my attention?”
RTLA: How do you incorporate edgy into your women’s line?
Aguilar: I’ve always had a vision designing women’s clothing. I had to wear a uniform at the private school I went to in Mexico, so I tried to experiment with it. I would untuck my shirt, wear Converse or sew details into my white socks. Fashion is such a cool thing for what you can do with it; you can really stretch the boundaries. I like mixing patterns and colors.
RTLA: How did you meet each other?
Alonso: We met at Argentinean rocker Gustavo Cerati’s concert. I liked this vest that Tony was wearing and I was like, “This guy looks cool. I want to be his friend.” We were both concert whores and just kept running into each other after that.
RTLA: Do you listen to music during the design process?
Alonso: Yeah, when we are designing, music is essential. Groups like the Brazilian band Os Mutantes and Los Mitos, which are kind of like ’60s psychedelic rock music.
Alonso and Aguilar’s NoHo store opens June 1 on Ostego St. The store will include higher-end ton Y van van merchandise, with pieces ranging in price from $100 to thousands of dollars, and their lower-end, Notavaz label is priced between $40 and $200. The store will also showcase independent international designers.
Contact Aguilar and Alonso at 818-232-7922 or tonYvanvan@notavaz.com.
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