Meet Victoria Tavoukjian | Fashion Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Victoria Tavoukjian and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Victoria, how do you think about risk?
When it comes down to it, I think that all of my achievements thus far have been as a result of being unapologetically myself. It’s cliché, but there’s an inherent risk to being true to yourself. You never know how people will react or if you’re making the right decisions especially in an artistic field that’s as competitive as fashion. However, at the same time, that’s the only way you can stand out. It’s a hard balance to find because while I need to stay motivated as an artist, I also need the consumer to like my pieces. This is something I’ve definitely gotten better at as time has passed.

There are certain design elements in my pieces that I’ll have been scared to implement initially because while I love it, I fear they may be too weird for the consumer. (A specific example of this is the fur I decided to add around the back pockets of a couple of the bottoms from my latest collection.) I always stick with my gut feeling when making these decisions because I don’t want to look back and regret not being true to my vision. The trend I’ve spotted is that those pieces where I have this dilemma tend to be people’s favorites!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As I’m about to put out my second collection, I’ve realized that what stands out about my pieces is that while I can re-create them they will never be one for one copies of each other. If we take a look at any of the three tops with the ribbon embroidered crucifix, all three have the same technique, but none of the crucifixes look exactly alike. That’s intentional. When I do those by hand, I do keep a color scheme, but overall I wing it based off what I think looks good. The one you may buy will not be a carbon copy of the sample I put down the runway, nor will anyone else have the same exact one you would.

Aside from that, think I’m still learning lessons daily and trying to figure things out. I’m one person doing basically everything by myself so while I’ve been trained to design and construct garments, I’m also teaching myself how to build a brand and market it out to people. A lot of what I do in that aspect I’ve learnt from just trying things, but also watching others and seeing if I can implement what works for them!

It’s definitely not easy. I have a lot of moments where I look back and wonder if I’ve made the right decision of pouring so much of myself into all this. That remains to be seen, but over all I have hope. I’ve received messages here and there from people who’ve purchased my pieces where they’ve expressed how confident they feel wearing what they’ve bought. It’s a little embarrassing, but I look back at them a lot <3

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh my gosh if there’s two things my brain revolves around, it’s clothing and food. Thankfully, LA has some pretty good options. Sushi is definitely a must and for that you can’t go wrong at Seaweed Hand Roll Bar in Glendale or Wabi in Venice. If sushi isn’t your vibe then I’d go with brunch at Elephante in Santa Monica or dinner at Jon and Vinny’s on Fairfax.

Other ways to pass the time include the arts. LA has a ton of great art museums so you really can’t go wrong in that department, but what really hits here is film culture. There’s no going back to normal movie theaters after you’ve been to the Vista (RIP), but the Los Feliz Theatre and Beverly Cinema also provide the cozy movie lover experience.

I’m born and raised in LA, specifically Los Feliz, so I can go on an on…

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Wow, there are so many people I can give that credit to. You know, there are the obvious ones like my friends, parents, and my teachers.

However, I think I’ll have to narrow it down to one this time around credit a lot of my drive to Sophia who runs Retail Pharmacy. She was the first person to see sales potential in my pieces and have them up for sale in her boutique. It’s absolutely inspiring to see what she’s been able to achieve and how she’s formed a community around surrounding the appreciation for independent fashion. I’ve been able to meet so many other amazing creatives through the opportunity she provided. My life would certainly not be the same.

There are so many other talented people who have their items listed on https://www.retail-pharmacy.com/shop so I do heavily suggest checking it out!

Website: Hvywthr.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/hvy_wthr?igshid=MzMyNGUyNmU2YQ==

Image Credits
Polaroids are by @easybakephotography on instagram. All other photos are taken by me