Tag: france

  • Lisa Laubreaux

    Lisa Laubreaux

    Lisa Laubreaux is a French multidisciplinary creative working across different fields, from illustration to set design. We chatted with Lisa to find out more about her playful works, her favourite projects she’s worked on and plans for the upcoming months.

    lisalaubreaux.fr

    Studio images by Maïa Izzo-Foulquier.

    Could you introduce yourself and tell us about your education and background?

    I’m Lisa Laubreaux and I’m a French illustrator. I was born in Marseille in 1987. After graduating from the Duperré school of Paris in fashion and environment (DSAA Mode & environnement), I co-founded the Super Groupe collective.

    Currently flying solo, I’m now working freelance for a range of different clients (illustration, installation, set design…). Through each discipline, I develop multidisciplinary experiences with an experimental and artistic approach that drive me to use a variety of media and techniques throughout my work. In addition to my usual practice, I also run participatory workshops in museums and festivals always in a fun and educational way, allowing every participant to take over the professional tools of graphic design.

    You work across different fields, could you tell us a little bit about each of them?

    Illustration: I do work for clients (I generally do commissions for the press or PR) and also my personal work. I use the same techniques for client work and personal projects but the subjects of my drawings are different. It’s interesting to have constraints – that way I can discovering new things about my work and my own possibilities.

    Set design: What I really like about set design is working with a team. When doing a shoot, you have to design elements which bring out the best in both the clothes and the model. It’s a question of working with the photographer, stylist and model to create the best possible photo.

    Installation: This is the most fun part of my work because it’s very hands-on. My installations are generally in painted wood so I have to use a jigsaw puzzle and paint. I also love the change in scale. Illustration is a solitary discipline which demands a lot of attention to fine detail, so it can be really nice to work on a larger scale.

    Workshops: In my workshops I give the participants basic elements or templates to complete, which allows them to have fun whilst using the tools used by graphic design professionals. I’m keen for the participants to be proud, or even surprised, by the quality of their work. It’s a way, for me, to promote creativity.

    How would you describe your illustration work?

    In my illustrations I especially care about the composition and the balance, working with free materials (charcoal, lead or pencil) before defining the strokes, using the nib or the pencil, and I finally bring into play the digital tools. Drawing inspiration from the popular conceptions and the daily life, I create coloured aesthetics and use a simple stroke to transpose, with a playful touch, the world which surrounds me.

    What are some of your favourite projects you’ve worked on?

    My favourite project was doing shop signs as part of the festival Le Voyage à Nantes “Journey to Nantes”. It was over quite a long period (6 months) and often involved working in a team. I regularly exchanged ideas with the staff of Le Voyage à Nantes, as well as with the shopkeepers. We did a lot of DIY and painting, the atmosphere was really great and I’m really happy with the final result.

    What are your plans for the upcoming months?

    Currently I am working on a children’s book about boats with Fotokino (a wonderful gallery in Marseille). It’s a book-game, which we tried with kids at the Marseille shipyard. I’m also making a giant banana with children from the northern neighborhoods of Marseille and starting a new collaboration with Atelier Bingo. This summer I will create some ceramics with my friend Émil in Luxembourg. We’re going to make big vases with naked women on them. At the moment, we’re sending each other drawings with naked women from space, on the beach, with tigers, etc.

  • Hemen Biarritz

    Hemen Biarritz

    Hemen is a men’s underwear label recently founded in Biarritz, France by the owners of creative and apparel design studio MakeMy Studio and two-wheeler culture specialist Bixente. Inspired by the Basque Country and its traditions, Hemen propose high-quality garments for the men of today, living in harmony with their time and caring about their comfort.

    To find more about Hemen, we had a chat with one of its founders, Marie Guyot, and we visited their studio space in Biarritz. You can read the interview below.

    Photos by Benjamin Jeanjean

    www.hemen-biarritz.com

    You have experience working in apparel design and art direction with your agency MakeMy Studio. What made you start your own clothing label and why did you decide to focus on men’s underwear?

    In the beginning, MakeMy Studio was approached by Bixente, the owner of a custom garage here in Biarritz, to work on the Hemen project.

    Bixente had the idea: a men’s underwear label inspired by the Basque Country called Hemen. MakeMy Studio turned the idea into a concept. We created the logo, the branding, the design and we looked after the art direction and sourcing.  We decided not only to collaborate in the project but become a partner.

    Tell us a little more about the design and manufacture process of your garments.

    We design everything ourself here in Biarritz. Understated but not basic, our range of undergarment is intended to be both unique and for everyone. Our signature, sophisticated and discrete, is a linen yoke overstitched with a red thread.

    Underwear are the garments that are most subjected to body movements. To avoid deformation, we only use cotton knitted from long fibers. This feature guarantees the delicacy and extensibility of the product. For our boxer-short model, the Albar, the mesh is also mixed with 4% elastane for even more resiliency.

    Our designs only use flatlock seams. They are particularly suited for extensible fabrics, and, when done with special care, they also have the property to reduce friction. Finally, our products are devised according to the male morphology to ensure absolute comfort.

    Deeply concerned about our impact on the environment, and motivated by a civic approach, we produce jersey underwear made from GOTS-certified organic cotton (Global Organic Textil Standard).

    The intensive farming of cotton is one of the most polluting on the planet. Organic cotton, on the other hand, is grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and the dye is done without using heavy metals or other harmful substances. This growing method avoids a number of intoxications recorded in developing producing countries. It is approximately 20% more expensive, the yield return being less efficient, but the harvested fiber is smoother, softer, and therefore more pleasurable to wear.

    The textile production is made in the region of Porto, in Portugal, a country we are fond of for its savoir-vivre, and do support for its textile savoir-faire. Indeed, Portugal figures among the most highly rated production sites for designers with high quality standards, especially concerning jersey work. This location is a strategic choice as well, with regard to reactivity and flexibility, but also to environmental impact, considering the human size of the factories and geographic proximity.

    Hemen is inspired by the Basque Country and its traditions. We’d like to know a little more about this, how does a tradition influence a clothing collection?

    The Basques believe that in olden days, during transhumance, the shepherds wives used to give their husbands an undergarment that was endowed with the power to protect them from the harshness of nature’s elements.

    Hemen, which means “here” in the Basque language, wanting to perpetuate this tradition, managed to revive the genuine savoir-faire and high-quality textiles that built the reputation of this legendary present.

    We design underwear with personality for the men of today, living in harmony with their time and caring about their comfort – male underwear with an attitude.

    Bixente, our partner, is a local native figure here. He has been a collector and a two-wheeler culture specialist for more than 20 years. As a vintage expert, he always find the ideas in the hidden treasures he finds.

    Besides, the Basque Country is such a strong region regarding crafts, culture and natural elements – mountain, ocean, rain, sun, snow… – that we have a limitless source of inspiration.

    What are the future plans for Hemen?

    A lot to do! Widen the range with new styles and new colours. A couple of cool collaborations in the pipeline and develop our visibility in the cool boutiques and concept stores in the EU.

    There’s so many things going on in Biarritz at the moment. Tell us about some interesting projects we shouldn’t miss on a visit to the city.

    Biarritz has always been a very attractive place for creative minds and people are pretty daring in launching projects here.

    Our friends from Cetus are doing great stuff and we have just launched our new project: Atalaye – Bain de Biarritz, a high-end swimshort brand for men.