Myself and two of my lovely lady loves are walking around our local neighborhood, searching in vain for a pastry, coffee, a place to smoke and people to watch: Parisian style. We take a few wrong turns and pass a very questionable little lane; homeless to the left, gypsies on the right. Out of nowhere, a canvas of a sultry face peeks out at us from a very non descript building façade.
Flateurvilleis the creative baby of Laurent Godard, a writer, painter, actor, architect and dental surgeon. Godard has created in Flateurville the ultimate creative oasis, and not just an oasis; Flatuerville exists as a world of its own.The mythical peoples of Flateurville take residency in a factory in Morocco, an old swimming pool in Paris (swimming pool of Flateurville), a large warehouse in central Manhattan (capital city of Flateurville) via a countryside house in Bourgogne. These sites, originally abandoned, run down or beyond disrepair are transformed by Godard to create the United States of Flateurville.
The site that we happenend to stumble upon (24 cour des Petites Ecuries, situated in the tenth arrondissement of Paris,) is a 600msq old newspaper factory transformed into Marcel’s (a mythical resident of Flateurville’s) playhouse. It also acts as a studio for Godard, a gallery space and an active creative venue for those who know of it on a Thursday night. As you enter this space you are assaulted with an overwhelming amount of creative stimulus.
Flateurville is an orgy of inspiration.
We first stepped foot into a moody forest; this dominates a large room full of twigs, reeds, and shiny plastic foliage, housing a small stage which seduces you over and convinces you to strum, dance and scream on it’s back. Stroll into the games room, which is scattered with Babaar, scruffy bears and decaying dolls; a giant blackboard which lies bare, waits to be used for whatever you wish.
The maze continues....
One definately gets the sense that all this is laid out for the visitors of Flateurville, to set a stage and to peak the creative senses to encourage absolutely everything. In Flateurville one doesn’t need courage to push the boundaries as the boundaries do not exist.
This is the modern day factory.
But better.
The story of Flateurville is complex and mysterious, much like the spaces it inhabits. It would be selfish to tell you much more than this. Find Flateurville and see for yourself.
This is the future.
Turn off your computer.
Turn away from the sterile walls of a gallery.
Get out of the studio.
Get out of the office.
Get out of this life.
Find another one.
In an unsuspecting building in an unsuspecting lane in a world called Flateurville.
If you cannot make it then you can make an appointment via the website or just drop in as we did. The guardians of Flateurville are super informative and friendly.
All images are courtsey of Carine at Flateurville, copryright 2010
AN AUDIENCE WITH ALEXANDRA GROOVER: NEW QUEEN OF THE BLACK SILHOUETTE.
A/W 09
Photographer: Akio
Stylist: Yasuhiro Takehisa
Although my fashion lingo is limited and I am no Tommy Ton, it does not take much to see that this is the way that fashion should be headed. Please lord let fashion go this way! Alexandra Groover, like so many talented designers before her is a graduate from Central St Martins in London and has also left her paw print in the studios of significant contemporary fashion houses including the hallowed halls of Alexander Mc Queen. Although a Californian native, you will not see any Coachella color in this pretty young things collections.
I work in black because I find color to be a distraction in my designs. I am primarily interested in silhouette, texture, and subtle design details. These are all things that could easily get lost in colors or prints. Also, colors often date very rapidly. I choose black because it is a favorite of mine, a classic, and is flattering on all ages and body types
Grey Label Three
Photographer: Alexandra Groover
Model: Linn Carin Dirdal
Alexandra Groover garments seem to transcend a base knowledge of fashion trends and embrace the idea of design as a more considered art form. As any artist worth there salt knows, the creative process must not be restricted to a taught practice; it should embrace all forms of the creative sphere. The Alexandra Groover label not only presents a garment it presents a collective of ideas.
I've always been more drawn to fine art generally. I like the idea of being able to turn my art projects into functional garments as well….I love to research and abstract. My sketches are usually quite literal in the beginning, and often my designs become extremely abstracted to the point where I may be the only one that can see the references. I find pleasure in using tools such as deconstruction and metamorphosis in the design process.
Black label One
Photographer: Susan Surface
Model: Vera Balyura
Groover’s aesthetic does not stop at merely the design of clothes, the fashion label has now strived to bottle it‘s overall concept through colloborations in film, music and vision. For the S/S10 collection Groover chose to colloborate on a film to showcase the collection and has plans to do the same for future seasons.
I am usually in correspondence with potential collaborators during the development process because our work must come together in the final collection and presentation. So, for example, I have already been in touch with the musician I would like to work with for the(S/S11) film because I want to make sure that they will complement each other in the end. In addition, I have several more involved long term collaborations that require many developmental/preperatory meetings before the design process even starts.
S/S 10 collection
Although the fashion set adores the media hype of fashion week and the traditional catwalk template; a growing number of designers (Prada and Yang Fudong, Gareth Pugh and Ruth Hogben) are choosing alternate paths to showcase their collections. Groover’s collaborative nature recognises that although the garment is the final product; it cannot fully realise the myriad of conceptual ideas which brought about the result.
I hope it becomes more of a movement to present in a less conventional manner because catwalks are pretty straightforward and not usually as exciting as other presentations and exhibits. But that is why the press like catwalk shows. They like having an easily cataloged format, so it is good for getting press, but not always so unique/ creative.
A/W 09
Photographer: Akio
Stylist: Yasuhiro Takehisa
The Alexandra Groover label does not strut down the street; it quietly walks by you and as you brush shoulders in passing; you get a whiff of an intoxicating elixir of mystique, elegance and above all else style.
I did not even bother trying to contact the greatness which is Martin Sastre. In the unlikely event that this amazing multi media artist would talk to me for my under the radar shittingly swell blog; I simply would not know what to do.
I would probably try and take advantage of him.
My good freind Ange shares these views in regards to the greatness of Thom Yorke. She simply does not care that he looks a bit weird and serial killer-esque. He is Thom Yorke and you have sex with him out of principle. Anyway that is the strength of my love for the work of this artist. Not saying that Mr Sastre is ugly or serial killer-esque at all. I would have sex with him because he is who he is. Amazing. That’s all I am saying.
1. Martin Sastre’s favourite quote, ‘save the cheerleader, save the world.’ This epitomises his body of work for me. Yes, it kind of not really makes sense, but its camp and fun and who gives a fuck.
2. KIM X LIZ. Oh the irony of it all! Elizabeth Taylor and Kim Jong- Il in a love story for the ages. It is so irreverent in many ways but I always watch it and end up feeling sorry for Kim Jong- Il. How many people do you know can make you feel that eh? I doubt it is a feeling directly related to his literal personality but there is a sensational feeling of positive humanity in this- coming from the most unlikely places.
Here it is, down below. Have a looky.
Kim X Liz, 2008
3. Sastre still adores Hello Kitty. When most of you shaven head Shoreditch clothes horses, would rather hang your emaciated, designer clad bodies than admit that, he just puts it out there. Outside Madonna’s house ( Latins do it better, Madonna meets Sor Kitty, 2008) of all places. It’s all oh so wrong but oh so right.
Latins do it better, Madonna meets Sor Kitty, 2008
4. I cannot even express the delight I have for the title of his 2001 Project Masturbated Virgin. ‘Project to masturbate Britney Spears with a giant cotton swab.’ Need I say more?
5. Yes I do.Oh Lord. I have not had the pleasure to view this work in it’s entirety but it just seems to get better and more ironic as Brits gets more tragic and tragic. To think that there was a time when Britney Spears was seen as a teenage ‘virgin’. If only Sastre had got to her with that swab earlier. Things may have turned out better for you Brits.
On closer inspection of the above text; I would like to retract the last words of point one. Sastre’s work does in fact, give a fuck. There is a very real and omnipresecent sense of Latin American culture and an awareness of home. Throughout his work; Sastre is able to combine popular culture icons who have seemingly no corrolation to his Latin American roots and he combines them seemlessy, contrastingly and wittily.
