The story start a morning of june 2014. I received a phone call from a production company asking me if I want to take part in a TV advert. I've been recommended by my good Fairy Sue Kreitzman that they have already been casting and they asked her "do you know any other colourful people?" "-Oh yes, I think I do".
They came to my house to film me in my environment. You feel really exited when you hang up the telephone and your second thought is immediately "Shit, I will have to tidy".
They said I was shortlisted with 15 people (among them some coloured sheep - for my personal ego I didn't want to lose against the sheep)
At the beginning they wanted to use my colourful lego dresses but they realised they couldn't use a copyrighted product. But they spot this colourful rubber dress that I had just made at the time with a lovely movement on camera.
Sue Kreitzman, the incredible woman & friend, that gave me this amazing opportunity, she is definitely the colour queen!
The clever think about Vaslpar advert is that they where looking for real people an not actor. They could have put a model in my dress, a taller and prettier girl than me, but they choose to keep the designer of the dress. So if you Google the people in the advert (like Sue Kreitzman) you realise they are not performing or dressed colourful just for the ad but that they are actually doing in their lives what they do on the screen and their lives revolve around colours.
On the day of the shoot, A taxi come to pick me, bringing me on set on South bank river (I felt very VIP). They had privatised the millennium bridge just for the scene. As a little Frenchie coming to make my way in the UK I feel I fulfil the London dream. They have been closing the millennium bridge with Saint Paul in the background for me. How more London can you get?
Aside from my free lance work, I do some extra work and normally I am one from the crowd. I am the one wearing black, I am not the wardrobe brief said "don't wear colours don't wears make up, not too much white but not too much black, no print or pattern etc…
Of course this TV campaign hasn't changed my life but it is nice to say "I've been in an advert" this is on a to do list in a performer life (expect for the purist hating commercial world. I've been receiving texts and private message " I've seen you on TV!" or "Is that you I've seen on TV? It is always a strange and great feeling when you see your advert on TV and you are "that's me".
In all B&Q of England...
I am really happy of this collaboration with Old Tat magazine which is not just another magazine. it is a
British bi-annual print publication featuring fashion, art, documentary, illustration and the miscellaneous.
I've been lending my pieces for few editorials and I was very glad of having my feature in this concentrate of creativity!
The shoot took the all day, the lovely photograph duo Ilka & Franz came to my studio/room to take a portrait in my "natural environment" (even if it looks a bit messy I really tidied for that!)
By Ilka &Franz
Then I cycled to their studio and I've been taken in by a make up artist and a hair stylist who died my hair pink and curled them for two good hours!
By Ilka &Franz
By Ilka &Franz
" Our niche is that the magazine shows off a love for clutter and celebrates the strange and even hideous items of old tat which do more than just collect dust. As a nation, we struggle to throw anything away hence our countless charity shops on every highstreet and our love for car boot sales, flea markets and antiques. We aim to create work featuring more than your usual white backdrop.
Ultimately Old Tat is a timeless print focusing on the upcycled, the hoarded, the treasured and the gems of our can’t-throw-away society. We have a slightly retro aesthetic and adore anything tatty. We are completely unique and set ourselves apart from the clean cut fashion editorials we are so used to seeing. Everyone loves a bit of old tat!"
My Lego design in the Spanish magazine S Moda withEl País, (little precision the Lego mask is not mine, it is from Agi & Sam designers.
I have designed a special Circus collection for Fee Fee La Fou HQ an amazing shop where everything is Circusy & colourful , a mix between concept store and curiosity cabinet http://feefeelafouenterprises.com/
have a look if you are in Dalston! (FFLF HQ, 6Bradbury Str, Dalston N16 8JN)
Madona ofholy junk and her sacred childPicture by Anthony Lycett
Loulou Reloulou found this dolls in the street and took it for we she had very sad eyes and was wearing a purple princess dress. At the same time the Fara Worshop was closing down selling lots of vintage lace, beads, sequins, pearls, junk jewels for cheap prices. I remember rambling frenetically among all the scrap of fabric as if I discovered the Ali Baba cavern. I decided to customise the dolls with all the material I found in this haberdashery and in flea market and charity shops for Sue Kreitzman. For example the skirt is made with different colours and shape of lace I hand stitched layers by layers. I also did the make up of the dolls to modify her gaze by adding fake eyelashes, lipstick and glitter eyebrows.
It is also a way to make unique a standardised dolls produced in mass production industry in China and reclaims it from the craft sector restoring her badge of honour. Rescued from the gutter, from rags to riches, the dolls become a Queen of Sabbath where unwanted material make her appearing all her glory.
On the 13th of March, I went to "Divine Tchothkes" opening. An exhibition held at Tatty Devine shop by Sue Kreitzman and John William took over our Brick Lane store with a dazzling hotch-potch of profound junk. Vodou Barbies, reclaimed icons and an altarpiece of rescued treasure.
I was wearing the hair plate dress I made for Butcher window with my favourite 80's sequins jacket and my flowers & glittery skulls headpiece. Sue is like always in all her glory dressed in Diane Goldie.
I had the privilege to have my picture taken with the creators of Tatty Devine who has been my favourite jewellery brand since I was 18. I got for them an adorable little Pierrot necklace and a guitar button brooch. They inspired me in wearing crazy statement jewels and make my own pieces. London is the only place that you can actually meet in person the designer of your dream brand!
For the fashion week I wore my heart dress but also some more "casual" outfit (which maybe for you are still Carnival related). This outfit is 100% charity shop look with a child tutu (happy I fit in) a vintage 70s top, and a glittery feather I turned into a head piece.
picture by Marie-Paola Bertrand-Hillion I had the chance to have some shoes lend by the amazing designer Natacha Marro for the fashion week, spectacular but really comfy!
Normally I don't really wear black&white but for the Fashion week I created this outfit is a mix between Chanel black&white elegance and British Pearly Queen. I am wearing a vintage Christian Dior ensemble mixed with my own accessories.
Design Cancan necklace available on my online shop
I made this trolls jackets with the emblematic toys from the 90s for the show "Lie Collector" staring Yves Blake. I love to make garment that resort to an accumulation of common reference objects.
"LIE COLLECTOR is a glorious musical celebration of the confessions you’ve been desperate to share.
Yve Blake collects stories from strangers in the internet and right up in the face. Why? To turn these stories into music. And costumes. And DANCE BREAKS!"
I bought this leather cow boy jacket few years ago in a charity shop feeling I could always use it for a costume but I never wore it. When Yve told me about the Western song I ask my Mum to ship it from Paris. The fringe of the cow bow jacket where replaced by the hairy trolls according to combination of colours hat I stitched one by one on the jacket.
This is not very elegant but I had to drill holes in hundreds of trolls's bottoms in order to stitch them to the jacket.
%2B(1).jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
