BEVERLY HILLS—When first meeting a famed fashion designer and cosmetologist one expects to find a person who is bigger than life and sometimes over the top. This is not what you see when you meet David Van Akin of DaviDesigned. The fascinating and uplifting soul that pours from the man who says openly and readily, “My mother is my inspiration, find your inspiration,” belies the incredible accomplishments and knowledge Van Akin embodies.
David Van Akin and his partner, Tony, have a beautiful home on Benedict Canyon, but it’s Van Akin’s sewing room that brings him the most peace and tranquility. “I wanted a sunny sewing room, much like the one my mother used when I was growing up. I now realize how very talented she was, and how she made things from the simple and humble materials she could find. She taught me at a young age about beauty and about making the most with what you have,” said Van Akin. When asked what motivated him to start designing such elegant couture fashions for ladies, he said, “There was nothing out there for real women who wish to dress elegantly. Every designer seems to design for stick thin women who walk the fashion runways, but that’s not real women, at least the majority of them.”
At a young age, David’s mother knew he was destined to be a creative person. “My mom said to me [that] at the age of 5, I proclaimed, ‘I are a artist.’” He laughs whenever he thinks of his mother and whenever the mention of her name comes up. There’s no sadness for the loss of her life years ago, but joy for the rich and vast knowledge about design and about how to treat people, which he uses today in his daily life and in his professional life as well.
“I have learned not just from my mother’s style growing up, but also from the wealth of style that real designers over the years have dressed women. From Betty Grable to Nancy Reagan, they have been dressed by the most talented people, who love the way women look when they are beautifully dressed. That is something I hope to bring back to not only Hollywood, but to the world,” said the designer. “I have no real desire to do a fashion line, I like dressing women individually, that seems to be lost now. It’s a real shame. Sure I’d talk with anyone willing to offer me a fashion line, but I’d have to be able to make individual pieces for real women and to suit each woman, not to force someone to starve themselves into a gown or clothing they then can’t enjoy wearing.”
With the experience that time has given the great designer under his belt, David plans to use the remaining years of his life to bring beauty and style back to our way of life. “There was a time when women would watch films and want to dress the way Sophia Loren, Debbie Reynolds or Audrey Hepburn looked in a movie. Then the mass production of clothing took over and once the factories started finding ways to manufacture clothing that they could sell for the most, but make for the least we were doomed to unattractive fashions that are now the norm. I would love for women to know that they can now look the way they once could dream about. Anyone interested in discussing it with me can call me directly,” said DaviDesigned owner.
Hearing stories of David’s beautiful mother putting rhinestones on her draperies in her Anaheim home or seeing his sleek and elegant gowns that are ready for individual fittings and knowing that no one will walk away from his sunny sewing room with an item that they will see all over Rodeo, but actually a one of a kind item that will make every woman feel like Grace Kelly every time they put on the outfit.
His joy of accessories can make every item not only individual, but as he stated, “When you have accessories, you can change them around and have an outfit that you can wear with several different items from time to time and have the feel of more outfits than you actually have. That’s an important characteristic for most women. They simply cannot wear the same outfit twice or more than that, especially in the entertainment industry and this town.”
Asked what his greatest hope is for this new fashion design house, Van Akin concludes, “To bring beauty, individual beauty back. To make women feel like women again and if they want their very own individual style, I’m here willing to work with them.”
DaviDesigned is available for consultations and you can learn more at their website at Davidesigned.com or call David Van Akin directly at 310-275-9353. Be prepared to be dazzled with the styles we miss, the look that is individual and for a charming man to keep great company with.
