IVO MILAN – Radical Fashion Blog

A story of craftmanship, family and excellence – this is Avant Toi, an Italian brand born in Genoa in 1955 with the purchase of its first knitting machine and the determination of Lia Gambetta, the founder.

This journey has unfolded across the various phases of Italy’s economic landscape and, despite significant challenges within the textile industry, the company has grown and gained strenght over time, thanks to generational transitions, a close-knit team of collaborators and other key synergies: innovation, through investment in high-tech machinery, artisanal craftmanship (much of the work is still done by hand), the choice of noble yarns (cashmere, silk, linen and organic cotton) and a unique chromatic experimentation.

Mirko, Lia’s son, brings an artistic sensitivity and passion for painting that defines the brand’s contemporary identity. Inspired by hand-painting techniques, Mirko seeks knitwear as an occasion to explore the infinite potential of color. Starting from neutral or dark bases, different chromatic themes take abstract shapes, often shaded by the use of airbrushing, or more textured, in laminated yarns, almost metallic.

The world of Avant Toi, from essential silhouettes and effortless wearability, offers an endless spectrum of colors that, depending on the selected fiber, develops in exponential variations and, with remarkable versatility, moves from everyday wear to a more expressive need, without formal ostentation, but with a deep sense of personal satisfaction.

Here’s a sneak peek at our Spring/Summer 2025 selection.

Long and flared dress, in laminated and glittery silk and elastan camouflage

Hip-lenght sweater, wide, in cotton and polyamide mouliné knit hand dyed

Hip-lenght sweater, wide, in linen and cotton knit hand dyed

Short and wide cardigan in cotton and polyamide mouliné knit hand dyed

Long and wide sweater in laminated linen knit hand dyed

A futuristic development of the ethics of Miyake Design Studio directs the philosophy of the Japanese brand, now in its ninth season—tenth, if we consider the presentation already held in Paris for the upcoming Fall/Winter.

Yusuke Takahashi, founder and designer of CFCL, born in 1985 and a graduate of the Bunka Fashion Graduate University in Tokyo, joined the exclusive creative team of the Maison Miyake in 2010. By 2013, he became a central figure, signing the ISSEY MIYAKE Men line.

This was a valuable asset to the prestigious Japanese company, which was then still personally led by Issey Miyake, a visionary mentor of talent to be gathered and encouraged to ensure the continuity of the brand that still carries his name today.

In 2020, likely sensing a shift towards a more radical and secure business direction at the Maison Miyake, and with a wealth of experience acquired, Takahashi emancipated himself, launching his own brand, CFCL. A synthesis, once again, of promising Japanese tradition blending experiences and cultures, with an advanced approach to global transformations.

Where is fashion, one of the most polluting industries in the world, headed?

What should be offered after the traumatic experiences of the pandemic, which have made the balance between comfort and social life more fragile?

How to respond to artistic and cultural contexts that still demand expressive differentiation in daily and professional representation?

What can new technologies and social networks offer?

Questions that, connected to his time, also inspired and gave breath to Issey Miyake himself.

Thus, CFCL was born, striving to provide answers and depth to crucial themes such as environmental respect, versatility of use, silhouette, and context.

Takahashi put in place his advanced studies in computer-aided knitwear design, offering the possibility of eliminating textile waste.

The choice of a knit production model, designed in advance on the computer, allows for flexibility in sizing, especially in length, while minimizing fabric leftovers.

He connects networks to recover residual materials, such as polyester, recycling, trimming, and re-dyeing them through sustainable, traceable supply chains, right down to their source, using traditional Japanese dyeing techniques (from ikat to shibori, etc.).

He seeks adaptable forms for both domestic and social contexts.

CFCL is a reality centered around being in the world with respect, comfort, creativity, and common sense, without giving undue importance to the eccentric images of a designer locked in their own small conceptual world.

The significant collaborations with contemporary artists, ranging from music to dance, from interior designers to architects, are no coincidence. This international support reflects a concrete global project.