IRONWIRE

You may be familiar with the characteristic holes and towel textures of IRONWIRE, a clothing brand founded by Ava Eisendrath (‘25.5) in early 2023. Following the brand’s debut fashion show, it seemed only appropriate to chronicle its origins, trajectory, and more.

Designer Ava Eisendrath is an avowed sweatpants aficionado. She takes inspiration from loose clothing, pieces that fit — or can be adjusted to fit — a wide-ranging audience. Her go-to move is cutting large holes in the arm, torso, or leg area of her fabrics, subverting expectations of what clothes usually cover. Many of the holes are left gaping, but some are filled by random, on-hand swatches of fabric.

Ava’s design process is subject to her creative whims, and, as a result, her pieces are all improvised and one-of-a-kind. Ranging from oversized jackets to color-coded sets to flowy pants and corset tops, the collection covers most bases. And though photos speak for themselves, it is worth noting that comfort is heavily prioritized in all that Ava creates.

Last fall, on a semester off of school, Ava spent the majority of her time sewing. Her daily routine entailed a podcast—usually—and the stitching of at least one clothing item. She would hang her creations all around her room, transforming it into something of a studio space.  By the end of the semester, she had an entire collection consisting of individual pieces. And what else would one do with an entire collection but host a fashion show.

On February 1st, 2024, banners hung from the ceilings of Hillel’s community center and chairs were set up to enclose a runway-like space for Ava’s models. Students flowed in, many more than could be seated, and at 7 p.m., the lights dimmed for Ava’s speech about her creative process and vision for the collection. After welcomes and thank yous and a brief promotion of the brand’s sale, the music started and the show began. 

To pulsing, non-lyrical music, the first model, Coco Kanders (‘27), walked out in an orangey two-piece set. Thirty-one models followed, one by one, all donning greens, blues, and oranges, among other amalgamations of color. Highlights included a series of tight, white dresses with seductive and arbitrarily placed holes; a white knee-length skirt with intricate stitching patterns; army green towel sweatpants with a buckle tie string; and blue, blazer-esque jackets also with Ava’s signature holes. The looks were diverse in form and color, but they made a cohesive and authentically “Ava” collection.

Post fashion show, and post selling the majority of her clothes, Ava felt acute creative anxieties. She asked herself, almost incessantly, “What now?” as she endeavored to come up with something new: an entrance into form studies. Working with texture, stiffness, and increasingly unconventional holes, Ava’s current, post-show pieces—inspired by her visual art teacher—mark a new era for IRONWIRE. 

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(Cover Image: RISD student modeling a two-piece camouflage set)

All pictures courtesy of RISD student Manuela Sepúlveda.