Avavav Turns the Runway Inside Out – and Oatly Pours it Forward

MILAN, March 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Avavav and Oatly, the world’s original and largest oat drink company, come together at Milan Fashion Week for Avavav’s Autumn/Winter 2026 show, to blur the boundaries between fashion, performance and flavor.

Staged as a reversed runway, the show turned the traditional format inside out: guests become the ones being observed, while models take their place as spectators. Continuing Avavav’s ongoing exploration of fashion as performance rather than presentation, the concept plays with exposure, perspective and power, reframing who gets seen, and who does the seeing.

Within this immersive world, Oatly didn’t just show up; it made the performance drinkable, translating silhouettes into sips.

A shared language of culture and experimentation

Speaking about the creative exchange, Beate Karlsson, Creative Director of Avavav, said:

“For me, fashion is about creating worlds – not just clothes. Over the years, Avavav has become known for creating performances rather than traditional runway shows. This format allowed us to work with contrast, between observation and exposure, depth and entertainment, while responding to an industry still shaped by a male gaze, despite being built around womenswear and female consumers.

Community has always mattered to us, but right now it feels more important than ever. Working with Oatly felt natural because they don’t just make oat drinks, they build culture. They understand humor, experimentation, and vision. The drinks became an extension of the collection, playful, strange, thoughtful and very Avavav.”

The creative exchange reflects a shared belief in expression without boundaries. Both Swedish-born brands are known for challenging convention in their respective industries, Avavav through radical runway performances, and Oatly through culture-shaping brand storytelling and plant-based innovation.

From silhouettes to sips

Working closely with Karlsson, Oatly developed three oat-based signature drinks inspired directly by the collection’s materials, textures and conceptual themes. The result was a sensory crossover where fashion ideas were translated into flavor, texture and form – living inside the same creative universe as the show itself.

Rowena Roos, Head of FADE at Oatly, said:

“We wanted to support Avavav’s show in a way that felt meaningful, conceptual and fully integrated into the experience. Working closely with Beate, we translated her silhouettes and ideas into three signature drinks that belong to the same world as the performance. It wasn’t about pouring drinks, it was about building something unexpected together.”

The creative exchange marks Oatly’s continued evolution beyond the drinks category, seeking out creative collisions that spark conversation across fashion, culture and design.

Oatly’s signature drinks

Created exclusively for the Milan Fashion Week show, the three signature drinks reinterpret classic forms through Avavav’s design language and Oatly’s oat-based innovation:

• New Fashioned: A clarified bourbon oat drink, reimagining a timeless classic through a plant-based, fashion-forward lens.
• Lace Bottoms Up: A non-alcoholic signature drink served in a cocoa butter–laced glass, referencing fragility, texture and contrast found in the collection.
• Jell-OAT Shot: A playful oat-based jello shot combining Oatly Matcha, apple and herbs, blurring boundaries between drink, dessert and design object.

Oatly Contact: Sergio Guimaraes, Prime Group, [email protected]