Vancouver Fashion eZine - Online Magazine | Fashion Designer

For designer Angela Saxena it all began with Archie Comics as a kid. After having her Veronica and Betty designs published as a little girl in what was her "first little claim to fame," the road to a self-built clothing line seemed inevitable. As evidence, Vancouver now witnesses Lav and Kush.
The company name is starting to ring a bell for many Vancouverites, which is no surprise since it's already taking Canada by an eco-storm. Targeted for women ages 25 to 40, the line's unique quality comes from its green fashion approach. The clothes are made of eco-friendly sustainable fabrics. In this respect Saskatchewan-born Saxena imagines the woman who sports her designs as "someone who is environmentally and socially aware, who cares about fabric. Someone who is a little bit more on the professional side. She has an active social life, but she loves comfort."
Lav and Kush strays from centering solely on yoga-akin designs that many green brands stick to. This way it's easy to find a "sexy dress with a big low neckline, [yet] it's in the softest material so you just feel really good in it." As it is, Saxena isn't pulling out her hair, despite dealing with a computer breakdown and a packed schedule during her interview. Her Himalayan cat, La Bouche, basks in the background while she smiles with big brown eyes and says, "Would you like some tea?"
Saxena's knack for "flirty, pretty, feminine styles," that women can actually feel "comfy and cute in" makes the line attractive, even in a city ruled by what sometimes feels like a "cookie cutter scene." No matter how rough and tough Vancouver's fashion industry may be, Saxena arms her dreams whole-heartedly without feeling the need to hunt out a different home base. In fact, the store is currently preparing to travel east, without sacrificing her love for the city's weather. "I love it here, and I can't imagine living anywhere where I get cold in the winter… I'm not moving back east, but that doesn't mean [I] can't establish a good presence there," says Saxena with a shiver. "We're planning on doing L'Oréal fashion week in Toronto, where there's a lot more exposure."
Women can expect Saxena's new clothes to fit into their wardrobes better than ever, as the line is taking new risks. "I think my very first collection last year definitely had a more casual vibe to it, but now we're starting to become a little bit dressier," said Saxena. "We're doing some more silk dresses and stuff like that... I think that's ultimately where my heart is." The Kwantlen fashion design grad designs the clothes herself and maintains that she always creates clothing with the inclination to wear it. Although Lav and Kush recently launched off last March, it already has goals to make a change on a global scale. "I'd like to have factories in other parts of the world that will employ a lot of the less fortunate people," smiled Saxena. "We would give them a fair wage so that way we could really feel like we're making a difference, not just because we're designing with eco-friendly fabrics."
Saxena wants aspiring designers breaking into the business to know that "more than anything it's about having the get up and go, the dream and the passion, the dedication and willingness to work hard to really make it happen." For more information check out the company's latest green designs at lavandkush.com. You can find Saxena's creations in Vancouver boutiques including Nimama, So Blue Clothing, Life of Riley, Bella Ray and Riot Clothing.