Who is Valentine?

“Wedding dress designer, fashion lover & photography enthusiast, this is an open door to my atelier & my inspiration.”

I created Valentine’s Blog in 2010. My aim was to give people an insight into the fashion world, share it’s little secrets as well as my experiences and my inspirations.

[FAQ]
Where are you from and where do you live?

I am originally from Ivory Coast but I was born in Belgium and lived there all my life until the age of 19 after which I moved to London for my studies. I lived there for 6 years, then moved to Paris for a year and Milan for 2. I am now living back home in Brussels.

What did you study?

I graduated from a three years degree course in fashion design and pattern cutting from the London College of Fashion, after which I studied a one year course in marketing and communication at the London College of Communication.

What kind of experience did you get?

I had the opportunity to work with a variety of designers which in my eyes is the best way to gain solid and valuable experience. Working for Alexander McQueen as a studio assistant in London and years later in Paris as a seamstress to produce the pieces for his last fashion show Plato’s Atlantis was priceless and taught me the art of research, creative pattern cutting and dedicated craftsmanship. (You can see my pictures here). I also worked for Alexis Mabille and Samantha Shaw as a junior fashion designer which again gave my the tools to develop my skills in haute couture and bridal design.

What is your occupation now?

I work mainly on my own bridal line and as a chief atelier for the belgian brand Marc-Philippe Coudeyre. I am also planning to develop my own label. I also collaborate on various project with the Belgian version of ELLE magazine.

Did you study photography?

I did study photography for one year back in college using a SLR film camera which I later abandoned for a little digital camera during my fashion studies. It was only last year that I decided to go back to professional photography and bought my digital SLR. I though blogging could be an effective way to include my passion for photography with my love for fashion.

Do you have a website aside from your blog?
Yes, on www.valentineavoh.com you can discover my personal work as a wedding dress designer.

INTERESTS:

Who are you favorite designers?
I loved the work of Alexander McQueen and still fan of what Sarah Burton is doing for the brand now. I love Karl Lagerfeld for his more than human multitasking skills and his humor and crude honesty. I also love Azzedine Alaia as from the beginning he managed to stay true to himself and to what fashion was originally about without paying attention to the dictates of fashion. Elie Saab for his dream like princess dresses. Ricardo Tisci for the amazing work he does for Givenchy haute couture. And many more…

Which fashion blogs do you read?

I follow many blogs including Garance Dore, Marian Kihogo, Le blog de Betty, The Sartorialist, Jak and Jil. View the complete list (here)

What are your interests aside from fashion?

 I really love traveling and discovering different cultures, eating 😉 watching old movies (which is still fashion related as they are one of my favorite source of inspiration), spending time with my friends and family…