What brought you to Copenhagen? How do you see Scandinavian fashion?
I have always felt very connected to Scandanavia. Denmark seemed like a mecca of idealism and aesthetics. Scandinavian fashion is unlike anything else going on around the world. Of course, coming from such a diverse city like Montreal, I sometimes find fashion here a little ‘safe’. Understanding beauty in simplicity and quality, yet slightly pushing the limits of a male wardrobe, I believe the brand CHRISTIAN L’ENFANT ROI will find a home.
What is your latest inspiration and what inspires you generally?
My latest inspiration for AW13 is drawn from West African folk tales, in particular the film ‘Kirikou et la Sorcière’. Colour palette and prints are also inspired by ‘naive’ painter Henri Rousseau. Every season I try to bombard myself with information. I’m mostly a product of my generation and have a short attention span including fashion. Inspiration is drawn from art, pop culture, history or sometimes mundane objects that could be overlooked. I usually get obsessive about one direction and try to exploit it as much as possible before i get bored and move on to the next season.
Who do you envision as the wearer of CHRISTIAN L’ENFANT ROI pieces?
The name ‘L’enfant Roi’ is a term to describe kids form a certain generation seen as spoiled brats. Originally intended as a tongue-in-cheek nod to my clientele, the name has evolved to also having a certain ‘blue blood’ or luxurious feel, which my clients can relate to. The ‘Enfant roi’ is informed and willing to take a risk in his wardrobe whilst still retaining a certain restrain. In other words, I dress boys who aren’t ‘showy’ but can think outside the box.
I saw some collage art from you – is this part of your design process or rather a chosen technique for finishing?
The collage work I did for AW11 was the first collaboration with Montreal-based artist Pier Yves Larouche. Continually fascinated by his work and being close friends, it seemed natural to collaborate. We found ourselves ‘speaking’ the same language in the proverbial sense, and the result was ideal for creating the dark mood I was going for. The AW12 campaign and lookbook was also done by Pier Yves and was inspired by my fixation to transpose L’enfant Roi’s somewhat luxury feel onto urban settings. When creating the collection, I already knew I would work this technique to convey the atmosphere which automatically influenced my choices in fabrics, textures and cuts. I try to have a constant relationship between art and fashion. I don’t consider myself an artist per se and am often in awe of their genius or their creation process. This said, I don’t tend to hide the collection behind fancy artwork, but rather take an already strong ‘stand alone’ collection and bring it to the next level by introducing another artist. The idea is not to rely on great artists to elevate my work but to create a link between two strong universes.
If you would have to describe the CHRISTIAN L’ENFANT ROI style in 3 words, what would those words be?
Utilitarian, bespoke, lounge-wear.
Interview: Reka Pasztor Turak
