Ava JonesCEO/Design DirectorPheline"The first thing I ever made was like a t-shirt dress when I was 7 maybe 8 years old; a piece that I stitched by hand. I still have it and it makes me laugh when I look at it because even though it was cut pretty straight, I guess that must have been the only thread my mom had, bright green and baby pink thread that I used alternately to sew the yellow fabric of my shirt."Born in Jamaica and raised in Toronto, Ava Jones developed an early passion for fashion design. Having always been full figured she found herself creating/sewing one of a kind designs as a teen, garnering attention and compliments for her eclectic, but fashionable sense of style. After 2 years of studies in Fashion Marketing/Management and a student placement with Canadian designer Sunny Choi, Jones returned to her initial passion; design and creation. She apprenticed with a Toronto Based designer/tailor while honing her skills and created pieces for private clients in Toronto, Barbados and Jamaica. In 2009, Jones established her company, Pheline and debuted her ready to wear collection at the Fuller Woman Expo both in Canada and the United States. The debut collection - inspired by the figure flattering femininity of the 50s and 60s - was designed and created with a fuller figured woman in mind. Pheline collections are unique and primarily one of a kind pieces, meticulously designed, cut and finished by Jones. She takes inspiration from her admiration of the romantic designs of Galliano, the opulent femininity of Valentino and the angular edginess, innovative cuts and sculptural designs of Jean Paul Gaultier and Issey Miyake. She chooses fabrics and accents that compliment and accentuate a fuller figure and each piece is created to be tastefully body conscious, sexy, yet always respectful of the statuesque beauty of a woman's silhouette. "Pheline's mission is to promote positive self image and beauty in full-figured women and to inspire health and well-being, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. Ava Jones and Pheline are dedicated to inspiring confidence, while encouraging full figured women to revel in their allure, celebrate their curvaceous sensuality and show their ability to command a room through their very presence.""I am inspired most by butterflies and hummingbirds and the way I envision the colours of their movements, their sometimes seemingly erratic motions and the thought of what the colours and patterns would look like if the wind beneath their wings could trace lines. I try to embody that in my designs, so that when a woman moves, there is colour to her movements and the designs give her a certain fluidity and grace, even when she is standing still. I always try to capture that fluidity in the fabrics I select and the colours/patterns in the fabrics. My inspirations also come solely from the fabric itself. Often times I will walk aisle after aisle in a fabric warehouse looking at different fabrics until I come across one that “speaks” to me and immediately, I can see what the fabric will emerge into, the hemline, the neckline, the gathers and accents and I can literally envision the entire gown, before its even been cut, just by looking at the fabric."
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