Avant Toi
Avant Toi is the cutting edge of luxury knitwear. Forward thinking, innovative and out of the ordinary, Avant Toi revolutionized the idea of what cashmere knitwear can be: distressed, urban, avant-garde while still maintaining elegance and a sophisticated essence. Superior quality Italian cashmere knits are created with artisan craftsmanship and then defaced, stained and maltreated to create Avant Toi’s signature juxtaposition of a grungy take on luxe.
Founded in 1994 by the Liapull production group, Avant Toi breaks the rules in regards to stylistic and aesthetic standards, giving life through innovative techniques and painstaking manual procedures to a new way of wearing and interpreting clothing as pieces of modern art. Artistic director Mirko Ghignone continually pushes the boundaries of dyeing and fabric manipulation of cashmere, silk and linen luxury yarns. Pieces are smoked, torn, destroyed, blended and spray-painted to become singular creations, refined yet provoking. Mirko’s originality creates distinctive character and unrepeatable colors that emphasize the texture and beauty of the knit. Each is a masterful work of art that is ultimately defined by the wearer.
The use of scarves only adds to Avant Toi’s extraordinary individuality. Vintage printed silk scarves and specialty prints of Mirko’s original paintings are felted onto a cashmere silk blend, treated with airbrushing and then hand painted. By creating collections alive with contradiction, Avant Toi has perfected a broad experimental language that finds relevance with all. An artist at heart and in practice, Mirko finds inspiration from fine art and possesses an uncanny eye for both color and composition. His profound love of color and its emotional potency creates the soul of Avant Toi’s clothing.
