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AVEC AMOUR: An interview with the future of timeless fashion 

AVEC AMOUR, in capital letters and in French. That is how Daniel de Villanueva used to sign the  paintings he would make in the early stages of his relationship with Maria Undo. Later on, AVEC  AMOUR became a whole creative concept, in a sort of epiphany that De Villanueva had, and that  Undo gave body to thanks to her background in Fashion Design.  

Three years later it became the name of the Spanish brand led by the creative duo, a label whose  personal linkage with its name gave birth to a strong identity and personality. However, AVEC  AMOUR which means “With love” in English does not talk about love, it talks about desire in a  youthful and fresh manner. The brand, with roots in Valencia, a global mentality, and clear French  reminiscences, represents a nostalgic sentiment of sensuality that has nothing to do with the 90s  porno-chic. It is desire, not sex, it is elegance, not vulgarity.  

“AVEC AMOUR is a love language between her and me, it’s the thing we are more passionate  about, it is a shared vision of something, it is a life project we want to keep doing forever, but that  doesn’t mean that our brand its about love, even though it’s on the name” stated Daniel de  Villanueva in an interview with the magazine. AVEC AMOUR presents a youthful rush timelessly  and classically that does not fall into trends.  

They have a defined aesthetic and narrative that they convey in their campaigns, which are styled,  designed, created, and photographed by the couple, proving that the Renaissance man and  woman are still among us.  

A glance at their Instagram page conveys the hunger for aestheticism of the brand, which is  translated into delicate and current pieces with the finest materials and patterns, provoking a  sentiment of novelty that clashes with the atemporal sense of the pieces. “I think it is quite easy to  fall into the conclusion that AVEC AMOUR is about romance, it is not, it is about the initial stages  of love, it is about rush, desire” affirmed De Villanueva in the interview. 

The creative duo describes the brand as nostalgic in the way that they create the clothes, youthful  in the way they propose them, and timeless in the way they feel fashion. Although the brand has  always taken a youthful approach, it is not exclusionary of older people. On the contrary, the  brand aims to appeal to all kinds of age segmentations through its concept. 

AVEC AMOUR is a brand that advocates for timelessness in a time of hype, a sentiment that they  position themselves against “One of the key factors that are detrimental for fashion is  consumerism” explained the designers “I think the hype is an extremely dangerous element to the  fashion community, it is introducing itself over and over in the landscape. It is radically temporary,  and it starts and ends quickly” declared Daniel. Instead, the brand opts for locally sourced  materials from their natal Valencia, a community marked by the richness of its textile and 

craftsmanship history “Fashion has to go back to the time were it was considered an art and it  relied on craftsmanship and the life expectancy of the garments” expressed the designer. “We are  starting a brand now, and we have the chance to lay its foundation on sustainability, in addition,  we want to support local businesses, because we may be digital, but many of those businesses,  don’t have access to the platforms on the way we do, because of the existent age gap” but the  reality of it is, explained further Undo and De Villanueva «that those fabrics that they provide, the  vintage textiles we work with, are infinitely better than the fabrics being produced today, that is  why we like to work with this kind of artisans as well».  

The defined visuals bring an almost cinematic charm to the brand, that recalls an inspiration from  movies. Undo and De Villanueva, great admirers of Sofia Coppola’s work remark how her ability to  shape and create a universe in her work has hugely influenced them “I have been watching her  movies since I was 14, she shaped my teenage years” states Maria Undo. “Our work echoes that  pre-digital age, not in the clothes but in the way we communicate, we would rather go back to  those times” voiced De Villanueva. 

The couple agreed that if their designs would have to be a painting this would be “Winter Pond”  by Glaswegian artist Alasdair Wallace and “New Horizons in Flower Arrangements” by Myra J.  Brooks, these encapsulate the feelings of the brand despite not being widely known, not only  chromatically but also for the imagery of them, that resonates incredibly with the brand,  showcasing the academic and intellectual approach of fashion that the young couple have taken  for their brand. 

“We are working tirelessly to create the next collections that showcase an evolution of us as  designers, we see the future of the brand as being contemporary, which does not necessarily  mean modern or following trends, the brand will never be obvious, it will perhaps become more  raw, but I do not think it will be ever about love or about sex, AVEC AMOUR is more implicit”  concluded Undo and De Villanueva. 

Words: @edugilhurta