JULIEN DAVID. How does colour inform your work? For me, colours and fabrics are very connected together and they are at the centre of my work. I think any colour and any type of fabric can become a very interesting garment; the key is to match the shade, pattern, textile, texture, and shape in an interesting way. It can be harmonious and beautiful or it can totally clash and be beautiful. I love to observe how different textiles and volumes take colour variations and prints. It is a never-ending research for me. Tell me about the importance of a little humour in fashion? Humour should be part of fashion. There’s no need to take things seriously to make a seriously good product. I want to inject a touch of irony and something surreal in my collection. I want to be able to make a point, whether it’s a trivial thing such as the return of the BMX or something deeper like urbanisation. This is a fashion show, we are cutting fabrics and making clothes. Let’s have fun with it.
THOMAS TAIT. Tell us something no one knows about you? A biopic loosely based on my life entitled Nice Stuff is currently in pre-production. It will be directed by Dario Argento and star Kristen Stewart in drag. Ok, that’s a lie. Unless I’m contractually obliged not to speak about something, I tend to keep things quite transparent with my work and my personal life so there really aren’t any hidden facts. I think the most exciting thing that the fashion set might not know of is my collaboration with HUF. The hats we made together for AW12 will be available at the end of summer and will only be sold in limited quantity on hufworldwide.com. I’m really excited about the project. Working on a product that connects with a different consumer demographic is so exciting. Where do you feel, in the modern woman’s’ wardrobe, that your voice is right now? That’s a really good question. I think what I’ve learned through my own work and the women I know and love is that women who buy truly modern luxury clothes are not the “ladies who lunch” or the cocktail party crew. I don’t think that demographic really sets a realistic example of what modern women need or want in their wardrobes. I’ve found it very inspiring to learn that my clients, both personal and through wholesale, are intelligent, hardworking woman who have truly interesting lives. They want and need real clothes that are both creatively inspiring and completely functional. That balance of wanting something that looks amazing but also lends itself to everyday life really inspires me to continue pushing my work forward both creatively and technically.
CALLA HAYNES. What, in fashion, gives you the most happiness? The design process, and being surprised by the process. I love being dead in the middle of a collection and watching it evolve and take form. It’s exciting and stimulating. I especially like when something happens that you didn’t quite expect, like when a piece that I didn’t think would be a star blossoms and becomes my favourite of the entire collection. What place do you feel has most affected you in your work? I really feel that it’s a combination of Paris, New York, and the lake region of Muskoka, Ontario (Canada) where I’ve spent every summer since I was born. Paris, my home for the last 10 years, is where I’ve worked and grown as a designer. The city constantly inspires me, but it’s also incredibly tough… It’s definitely made me stronger. Muskoka is where I recharge and stay grounded. Nature constantly inspires my textile designs, and my love of nature comes from there. New York is where I went to school and it’s the most energizing place in the world. It gave me confidence and it gave me style.
CEDRIC CHARLIER. Where do you feel the past and future meet? The past is something we acquire and something the future takes inspiration from. It is sometimes interesting in the creative process to “unlearn” but whatever we do, consciously or unconsciously, what we learn from the past still stands. What is your favourite part of the body to think about and dress? I think more in terms of moments in a woman’s life, more than a body part. I like to think that a woman can find items in my collection to wear at any moment of her day and night.
NICOLAS ANDREAS TARALIS. What feels new to you, in fashion and art, at the moment? POETIC AUSTERITY. What do you feel a young designer needs now, more than ever, to grow themselves privately and their name? BELIEF. PERSEVERANCE. LOVE.
VIKA GAZINSKAYA. When, in your eyes, does a piece achieve perfection? When it looks organic, when it is in harmony with its surroundings. How do you propose women can introduce an element of fantasy and dreaming into their clothes? I believe, not wearing primitive and obviously sexy clothes. Actually, fantasy can come only out of you; I wouldn’t create it superficially by wearing specific things. Once again, it’s the matter of organics: if you have it inside you, everyone around you will feel it.
