After learning in high school that fashion design could be a career, Laura Bavlnka worked backstage at Paris fashion shows, landed a corporate job in the industry — and then took a “leap of faith” and launched her own brand.
And in a world full of fast fashion, Bavlnka said she is trying to run Bavlnka Brand as ethically and responsibly as possible.
From her North Avenue atelier, Bavlnka works on a new clothing collection, makes jewelry, does elaborate alternation work — including on the most important dress a person will ever wear — and naturally dyes accessories. She also hosts workshops to teach others how to natural dye.
“I’m really creating something that is unique and that feels really good to me, and that suits the needs of people,” she said. “I want people to feel good about the clothes they’re wearing. And if I can help them to do that, that makes me so happy.”
High school art teachers fostered her passion for fashion
Bavlnka always had an interest in fashion and an entrepreneurial spirit. In high school at Wauwatosa West, she made her own tote bags from upholstery fabric, then started selling them to other students. She also made and sold custom garters for prom.
Selena Marris, who’s been an art instructor at West for two decades, was the first person who told Bavlnka that fashion design could be a profession.
Marris said Bavlnka stood out for how she always asked a lot of questions, appreciated feedback and went the extra mile on projects. Marris still remembers a cocktail dress Bavlnka made with wood chips in one of her classes.
The same day Marris asked Bavlnka if she had ever thought of pursuing fashion as a career, she received a flier from the Rhode Island School of Design about their pre-college summer programs. Marris told Bavlnka, a junior at the time, about what the school offered and encouraged her to apply.
For six weeks that summer, Bavlnka — who had never been away from home for more than a night or two — lived in a RISD dorm, took art classes and got “a glimpse into what art school would be like.”
When Bavlnka returned to West for her senior year, Marris said she had a “spark in her eye.”
“I remember her saying, ‘I can really see myself doing this,’ ” Marris said.
“I was lucky enough at 17 that I knew what I wanted to pursue,” Bavlnka said. “The rest kind of fell into place from there.”
She decided to study apparel product development at Mount Mary University, which had a program that would allow her to spend a month in Paris and work backstage at fashion shows.
During winter break of her junior year — which was during couture fashion week — Bavlnka studied at the Paris American Academy and learned couture techniques, including hand sewing and working with special materials. She also worked backstage at the fashion shows of Alexandre Vauthier, Clarisse Hieraix, Georges Hobeika and Songzio menswear, and spent a day interning for couture house Didit Hediprasetyo.
After graduating in 2014, Bavlnka began freelancing for Kohl’s and was soon hired as an assistant designer on a girls’ clothing team. She developed concepts and color palettes for each season, worked with artists on designs and gave feedback to vendors.
But she yearned for more creativity. After three years, she left to “see if I could make something on my own and have it be 100%, totally creative things that I’m making.”
After launching Bavlnka Brand with a clothing collection at Milwaukee Fashion Week in 2017, she focused her business around hand-dyed accessories, handmade jewelry and alteration work.
For 4½ years, Bavlnka also worked as a barista to make ends meet. In November, she was able to leave her side hustle to pursue her art full-time.
Bavlnka specializes in natural dyeing with plant materials and helps others learn the technique
Naturally dyed silk scarves, bandanas and more are on display at the front of Bavlnka’s atelier.
She first learned how to dye with synthetic dyes in college, but started delving into the world of natural dyeing close to five years ago and it’s become a pillar of her business.
One of the techniques she uses the most is bundle dyeing. Bavlnka pre-treats natural fabric — typically silk or 100% cotton — so that it can take on the dye. She sprinkles the fabric with plant materials that yield a permanent pigment. Some of her favorites to work with: flower petals, especially from roses, ranunculus and marigolds; onion skins; and eucalyptus.
They can be fresh or dried, but will give off different colors — for example, fresh roses make a purple color and dried ones give off more brown tones.
Bavlnka folds and rolls the material into a little bundle, wraps it in string and steams it in a pot, which pulls the dye from the plant materials and binds it to the textile.
“When you open it up, you get this really beautiful, kind of speckled look from where the plant material was touching the fabric,” Bavlnka said.
Now that Bavlnka has been natural dyeing for years, she said she’s learned how to replicate items that are performing well for her business.
“The cool thing is that even when I’m using the same materials in the same way, it’s going to be a completely new piece,” she said.
Bavlnka teaches natural-dyeing workshops at venues across the Milwaukee area, from Unordinary Omen Floristry to Orange and Blue Co.
After giving an overview of the science and the thousands of years of history behind natural dyeing, she teaches participants how to bundle dye, and each attendee dyes a silk scarf.
“It’s a relatively easy process, so really anybody, whether you’re artistic or not, can partake and walk away with something that is unique,” Bavlnka said.
New clothing collection of elevated everyday wear and jewelry to go with it
Bavlnka plans to soon debut a new clothing collection of “feminine” elevated everyday wear. It will showcase natural fiber textiles and naturally dyed fabrics, as well as hand-sewn embellishments. She’s using nearly all deadstock fabrics, which are already-produced materials that would otherwise be headed for a landfill, she said.
The collection will include at least one dress, a romper and layering pieces, such as shawl jackets. The pieces will be offered on a made-to-order basis, which means people will be able to order the pieces they want in their specific size and they will be custom-made, Bavlnka said.
She also plans to release jewelry that will complement her new designs.
“When I’m designing clothes, I’m envisioning the whole look,” she said. “And that includes the jewelry that’s going to go with it.”
Her specialty is earrings, from simple and elegant to larger and elaborate — all with a bohemian aesthetic.
She makes most pieces from repurposed materials, thrifted or vintage jewelry that she’s taken apart, and locally sourced beads.
“I’m trying to create a very sustainable approach to everything that I do,” she said. “When people hear about the process of how it was made, they will hopefully create a relationship with it and care about it and want to last them a long time.”
Does elaborate alteration work on vintage clothing, wedding dresses
Through her alteration work, Bavlnka aims to help clients “fall in love with their clothes.” She specializes in vintage clothing and bridal, and some of her favorite jobs have been transforming vintage wedding gowns.
Milwaukee resident Jessica Sheridan wanted to use her mother’s ‘80s wedding dress in her own wedding, where it could serve as something both old and new.
“Her dress was really beautiful, but it just wasn’t quite my style,” Sheridan said. “I wanted to update it and make it my own.”
The original dress had sleeves, a lace turtleneck, sheer material over the chest area and a v-neckline outlined in lace. Keeping the general shape, Bavlnka removed the sleeves and turtleneck. She redid the bodice, creating straps out of lace from the original dress and giving it the sweetheart neckline Sheridan wanted.
She also fixed yellowing and staining, replaced a portion of the bottom of the dress where the discoloration was too strong, and used lace from the original dress to make Sheridan’s garter.
Sheridan said Bavlnka kept her updated throughout the process and had her come in for several fittings to make sure she was liking how the dress was coming along.
“Trusting someone with an heirloom, like your mother’s wedding dress, is really nerve-wracking,” Sheridan said. “But with Laura, I didn’t have any concerns.”
When Sheridan’s wedding day came in April 2018, she said she felt incredible in her “elegant” and “ethereal” dress.
“It was a priceless experience for both myself and my mother,” Sheridan said.
Inspiring future generations
Bavlnka Brand’s naturally-dyed accessories and jewelry can be purchased at bavlnkabrand.com. That’s also where people can contact Bavlnka regarding alteration work, and where her new clothing line will be available.
During the holidays, Bavlnka also sells her products out of her atelier, 5209 W. North Avenue. One of her customers? Her former teacher Marris.
Marris said she shares Bavlnka’s journey with her current students to inspire them and show them what’s possible.
“Sometimes when you’re in high school, you think, ‘Could that really be me?’ ” Marris said. “Well, there’s someone who sat right here in your chair and is making it happen.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee fashion designer behind Bavlnka Brand talks new clothing
Related Posts
- Beyoncé puts Birkin bag ‘in storage’ in favour of the Telfar | Handbags
- This TikToker Shamed The Telfar Bag After Beyonce's Shout Out
- Beyoncé boosts demand for Telfar's 'Bushwick Birkin' bag
- Beyoncé mentions her Telfar bag being her new go-to instead of Birkin-and here’s where you can get one
- Telfar is Benefiting From The Beyonce Effect