When it comes to growing an innovative high-end clothing company,
Amanda Shi genuinely has a green
thumb. Though she can trace her aptitude for textile and clothing
design back to her parents (who have run a successful knitwear business
in China for decades), her three year-old company, Avita,
puts a brand new spin on luxury wardrobe essentials. Though she
did make her mark at ABS, Gold
Hawk, Tadashi and Churchgirl,
it was only a matter of time before she would plant the seeds for
her own success --specifically one of the first eco-friendly/luxury
and fashion forward lines on the market.
A major segment of Shi’s Spring/Summer 2006 line is made
entirely of bamboo. Shi has breathed new life into this natural
wonder by converting its pulp into fabric that is cooler than cotton,
anti-bacterial, 90% organic and as pleasing to the skin as it is
to the eyes. Other Avita collections, meanwhile, have served as
an excellent showcase for Shi’s deft use of cottons
and recycled cashmeres, ignited with a thoroughly modern
color palate that includes tangerine, aqua, pinks and mint green.
With its fine lightweight blends, Avita can be appropriately worn
year-round from coast to coast.
“The line was conceived to show the many different ways you
can wear cashmere,” says Shi. “People
have become accustomed to only thinking of cashmere as winter wear,
when actually its amazing luxury and softness easily lend it to
being used in a variety of pieces that can be worn in any weather
at any time of the day. (With the addition of the bamboo
collection), We are making very stylish organic pieces, and our
goal is to keep adding more into the collection as advanced processing
continues to refine the look and feel of the material. That being
said, pieces can be worn with your favorite jeans or with other
basic pieces in your wardrobe.”
Shi’s Avita basics include baby T’s, shoulder-bearing
tanks and striped hoodies, as well as casual V-neck, boat neck and
crew tops. Pieces range in retail price from $85 to $500, with bamboo
and organic cotton T’s under $150, and the cashmere items
ranging from $200 to $500. Avita items can be found at Fred
Segal Santa Monica, Rebel and Scout,
and devotees include Jennifer Love Hewitt,
Virgina Madsen and Ziyi
Zhang (star of Memoirs of a Geisha).
