Food & Drink

Less Is More: For Creative Powerhouse Ava J. Holmes, Conservation Is Her Fashion Passion

The cofounder of Fashion for Conservation combines her love of fashion and the outdoors

By Nia Martin March 19, 2018

1-lead

This article originally appeared in the March 2018 issue of Seattle magazine.

This article appears in print in the March 2018 issueClick here to subscribe.

Country Meets City
A love of the outdoors and couture may seem like a contradiction, but not for Ava J. Holmes, who spent her childhood alternating between upstate New York at her father’s wilderness survival school and in Manhattan with her filmmaker/musician mother. In 2012, Holmes, a producer of fashion-week events around the world, combined these two loves by cofounding Fashion for Conservation (FFC) with Samantha Zwicker of Hoja Nueva, a Seattle-based environmental nonprofit that does work in Peru, and Nazanine Afshar, an art director for British Vogue. The Seattle-based organization focuses on raising awareness and funds for conservation through fashion design, shows and events. 

Jump In
“It’s an eclectic combination,” says Holmes of her personal style. “Every piece I own is significant to me and has a story behind it.” Her wardrobe seamlessly blends high-end designer and vintage pieces. Jumpsuits, including one from Goodwill’s Glitter Sale, are a staple. “I have a jumpsuit for everything. You can style it up, put a blazer over it, wear heels with it, or you can wear it to bed or to yoga,” she says.

A frequent traveler to industry events, such as London Fashion Week, as well as to Hoja Nueva’s conservation site in the Peruvian Amazon, each morning she asks herself, “Do I wear bare feet or stilettos?’” On those stiletto days, Alexander McQueen is a go-to. 

Emerald Style
“I feel that a lot of designers [in Seattle] are either inspired by nature literally or more subtly through the fabrics they use,” says Holmes, whose playful aesthetic mixes sophistication with the avant-garde. She favors several local brands that focus on sustainability (think quality materials, fair business practices and minimal environmental impact), such as Devonation, Dawnamatrix, J. Von Stratton and Schai. 

Down the Line
Fashion for Conservation will release the latest issue of its FCC Magazine this spring, with design spreads inspired by conservation efforts in Peru. As Holmes says, fashion is a universal language that everyone gets to participate in. Wherever her travels take her, Holmes will be helping to spread her conservation message to stylish crowds across the globe.  

Follow Us

‘Mean Girls’ Reboot Sparks Surge in Y2K Fashion 

‘Mean Girls’ Reboot Sparks Surge in Y2K Fashion 

Seattle’s vintage shops put us in the lead 

Flared low-rise jeans are back. With the new Mean Girls movie sparking a wave of nostalgia, the nation is once again embracing the days of flip phones and cargo pants.

Yes to the Dress

Yes to the Dress

Bellevue Collection takes fear out of fashion

The Bellevue Collection will unveil its fall fashion collection at its 17th annual fashion event Sept. 8 and 9. “We hope to inspire our guests to be fearless in showing their own style,” says Jennifer Leavitt, vice president of marketing for The Bellevue Collection. The two-day event — dubbed “Fashion Week” — features trend reports,…

Designing for Dignity

Designing for Dignity

After witnessing the last few weeks of her grandmother's life, one Seattle woman tackled a redesign of the ubiquitously disliked hospital gown

Tammera Mason remembers her grandmother, Eleanor, as a glamorous woman. Born and raised in an immigrant family in the Midwest, Eleanor used fashion as a way to fit in, and her granddaughter talks with fondness of her perfectly coiffed hair, printed scarves, and movie star sunglasses — all visual indicators of her outgoing personality. “Eleanor…

Seattle Seen: Sizzling Style

Seattle Seen: Sizzling Style

Devoted followers of fashion make a summer statement

“All these portraits capture different sides of what it is to be a Seattleite, the experiences you may have, or the way you look at life.” — Seattle street photographer Valerie Franc. Seattle is a city of variation, texture, and beautiful misfits, and Valerie Franc shows the vulnerability in the seemingly invincible. She finds tenderness…