In the last couple of centuries, Spain has been the birthplace of some of the most influential fashion designers of our time — from Cristóbal Balenciaga to Manolo Blahnik and Mariano Fortuny. Often praised for their exquisite execution and groundbreaking silhouettes, Spanish designers have become synonymous with traditional techniques and craftsmanship. Evangelina Julia, founder and creative director of Evade House, represents a new wave of Spanish creatives in fashion, continuing the artisanal practices with an added focus on textile innovation and upcycling for the modern era.
Since graduating from London College of Fashion in 2020, the Madrid-born and based designer has been experimenting with a wide range of materials and mediums — from mud to wine stains — to create one-of-a-kind designs that push the boundaries of zero-waste wearables. After making organic fibers her bread and butter, Julia is now venturing into hosiery with a bit of help from Italian creative Laura Petrucci, by launching Cartina Lunga, a sublabel that is “not too formal, a bit cheeky, but never over the top,” accompanied by an immersive pop-up at Milan Design Week.
“I’ve always felt connected to Eva’s vision,” Petrucci tells Teen Vogue. “Bringing and turning our ideas into something physical and real was super exciting. The fact that it was a hosiery collection made it even more special. Translating a concept like Erotocomatose, which is so deeply tied to femininity and sensuality, into a fashion accessory felt incredibly powerful. It felt like two friends sending tons of messages every day, sharing the things and ideas we loved.”
To know more about the creative symbiosis of Cartina Lunga and the vision behind Evade House as a whole, Teen Vogue caught up with Evangelina Julia over Zoom about her journey since setting up the brand in 2021, textile innovation, her penchant for repurposing waste, and catching the attention of the likes of Caroline Polachek, Julia Fox, Charli XCX, and more.
Teen Vogue: When did your interest in fashion start? When did you realize it was something you could pursue professionally?
Evangelina Julia: It wasn’t really until I started modeling and I, honestly, never liked the clothes they put me in. But, through that job, I started learning about the behind-the-scenes of the fashion world and just how wasteful it was, starting from the sets and the props. It was really shocking. I had never been involved in fashion — I studied biology —so I never really truly stopped to think what was going on, but that was the moment where I was like, “Wow, I can’t believe all this stuff is just thrown away.” I was always trying to fish out things to give them a second life.
That was the moment when I decided I wanted to study fashion and be an active participant. I just refused to believe brands and clients weren’t aware of the contamination behind the making of a shirt or a mere shoot, so at 24, I enrolled in fashion school.
TV: Wait, so you studied biology before you started in fashion and started modeling?
EJ: Yes, I come from a family of doctors. Nobody is in fashion, so there was this unspoken rule of the family tradition. So, yes, I started studying biology, then switched to social sciences, and ultimately, marketing. I initially pursued a degree in marketing before switching to fashion. During the last year of my marketing degree, which I did not finish, it became clearer that I wanted to move to London to study fashion at LCF. I graduated not long ago — in 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
