- Festival Mode et Design Montreal 2014
- Atelier
- Art à Porter
- Lil'lo-3
- VICELOW
- LITTLEMISSMUSIC1
- Festival Mode et Design Montreal 2014
- Julien
- Obia Le Chef x Carlos Guerra
- Féfé
- _MG_9931
- SpryTwitt
- Stecia-5
- IMG_6386-1
- Art à Porter
- Féfé
- 2017, Pamplona Alta (PÉROU)
- 2017, Pamplona Alta (PÉROU)
- 2017, Pamplona Alta (PÉROU)
- 2017, Pamplona Alta (PÉROU)
- 2017, Pamplona Alta (PÉROU)
2009, Art to wear
1995
I was 6 or 7 years old the first time I painted on a piece of clothing. In fact it was an accessory: my black shoulder bag in which I stored my music scores for the music theory class. It was all black with a female figure in white on his side. I wanted to draw and write on it, so that my bag would be unique and my designs would be seen in the street. Far from urban culture at that time, I didn’t know graffiti, but if I had known about it, it was certainly a path I would have taken. So I drew my designs on my bag… with a white liquid corrector, which I then ironed with gouache. I repeated the experience several times on t-shirts and tank tops, which I never wore or washed, for fear that the pattern would go away.
« It is through all media that today’s artists reflect the tribulations and emotions of street generations. The t-shirt is a reflection of the soul of youth. »
2004
I continue to draw, to paint, not liking too much the paper format, canvas, preferring a piece of wood that hangs around, a piece of furniture, the class tables, the arms of my classmates… Then it is around 14-15 years that I find Amélie’s skyblog (Amy Many)! When I saw her creations, I thought that painting on clothes was something that already exists and that in addition, could please people. So I asked her what product she uses: Pébéo Setacolor paints. I get them, and here we go!
I then make lots of clothes, and I start making clothes for my friends.
Then my friends’ friends of my friends.
And so on and so forth.
2009
Five years later, in December 2009, I registered the KhaciJay brand at the INPI, and I registered for the self-employed scheme. Since then, I have created more than a thousand unique t-shirts: commissioned, spontaneous creations, timeless themed collections…
What I like about the t-shirt as a support is that I see it as a mobile, and more or less ephemeral, way of conveying messages, of carrying a canvas with and on you. The shirt has a story. It is a support that is constantly being renewed. It can be worn, transported and transformed over time. It evolves and travels. This is the very spirit of KhaciJay.
« I wear my t-shirts like protest signs » Medine, Biopic
This unique side, or in very limited pieces (8 copies maximum per model), is a very conscious choice. But also a risky bet. Because even if, in their own words, everyone wants to assert their difference, few really dare to do so. We need benchmarks, we need to know that our choices are validated by society. Wearing a unique t-shirt with a design that we would have chosen, that no one else in the world wears, is a real act of affirmation. That is why my clientele is mainly composed of artists, who have already broken down this barrier of public approval. To create unique pieces is to be able to make custom-made, for unique people. And we are all unique. It is about fighting against standards. It’s not ready-to-wear, it’s « the art of wearing ».
2015
At the end of 2013 – beginning of 2014, without any particularly triggering element, but rather as a logical continuation of my evolution over the past two years, I am overdosing on clothes and shoes. Not only towards myself and my personal needs, but also from a societal, environmental and ecological point of view. The overconsumption is starting to overwhelm me.
Even if I only make unique pieces, something disturbs me in my activity… In 2015, I decide to stop painting on textiles. Definitely? I didn’t know yet. All I needed was to find a balance and agree with myself on this point.