FASHION EDITORWhen the first name of your fashion line is DOPE, you have to be either addictive to the wearer or predictive of what everyone wants to wear. DOPE TAVIO manages to do both.
DOPE TAVIO is a unique, high fashion street wear and genderless fashion line that started out in Miami a year ago. Designed by Puerto Rican fashion designer Octavio Aguilar, the line offers one-of-a-kind pieces that are inspired by 90s pop and hip-hop infused with a decidedly NYC street-style twist. The pieces that Aguilar creates (he likes to think of them as “art fashion”) consist of primarily oversized exaggerated shapes, bleached vintage denim and bold familiar print patterns which uses hardware such as safety pins, patchwork, and shoe strings for closures- making it both uniquely identifiable and also sought-after amongst the fashion-obsessed and creative club-kid circuits.
The first DOPE TAVIO look book debuted on social media last fall, and quickly caught the eyes of many creative artists and well as fashion icons. Spurred on by the initial success, Octavio decided to move to NYC in August 2017 to further his career in fashion design. Within a month, the covetable pieces were being seen during NYFW, worn by stylists and fashion influencers. Magazine editorials, interviews, and fashion films soon followed. The fashion cognoscenti began to take note. Amongst some of the artist that have worked with DOPE TAVIO are underground rapper Sharaya J (whom Octavio styles), superstar musician/creative wunderkind Erykah Badu, super stylists Ty Hunter, Bianca Bonnie, Dapper Africa and The Stylemonsters, as well as optical designer and fashion fiend Stevie Boi. The collection made appearances in editorials for XEX, 7 Hues, Elle Bulgaria and Lady Gunn magazines, shot by top photographers such as William Lords, Greg Swales, and Shamayim.
The highly-anticipated second collection will be released in fall 2018, and- just like before- Octavio plans on revealing it via social media during fashion week. You can find his unique statement pieces on dopetavio.com.
Photographer Kate Kim