The ANDAM Fashion Award, a prestigious award for emerging designers, is known for having been awarded to such prestigious names as Martin Margiela and Christophe Lemaire, artistic director of Hermès.
Julien David won the Grand Prix in 2012 and is currently attracting attention in select shops around the world, including Colette in Paris and Browns in London. We spoke to him about his reasons for choosing Japan as his base and his creative process.
Born in Paris, Julien moved to the United States at the age of 19 and studied fashion at Parsons School of Design in New York. After working as a womenswear designer for Narciso Rodriguez and then Ralph Lauren's Purple Label, he came to Japan in 2006. "I was interested in Japanese art and architecture, so I decided to come to Japan. I was very young, curious, and crazy back then (laughs). But when I actually visited, I was surprised to find that Tokyo, while a big city like Paris or New York, has a completely different charm from Western cities," Julien recalls.
The brand was founded in 2007. Initially, it only offered silk scarves, but in its fourth season, it presented its first women's collection of 15 pieces, consisting entirely of coats. It held its first show in the Fall/Winter 2011-12 season. The collection is made entirely from materials made in Japan.
"To express a concept or feeling, I seek out various techniques and materials and incorporate them into a modern collection. I even traveled all the way to Kiryu to visit a Tyrolean jacquard factory I discovered at a fabric exhibition in Tokyo, and adapted the archives from the factory to use in outerwear. As a young fashion brand, every season is a learning experience, and we face new challenges," Julien says.
Based in Japan, one of the world's largest fashion markets, Julien says that being able to do everything from selecting materials to sales in one place is a major advantage for him as a designer.
"The products that sell in the Japanese market are very distinctive, and different from those in Europe, the US, and other Asian markets. You could say it's a Japanese taste. Japanese consumers are very interested in creations, so I think it's a great place for young, creative designers. In Japan, even ordinary young people, not just so-called fashion people, spend money on fashion and are always trying new styles. There's an atmosphere of freedom and enjoyment in fashion. Maybe I feel this way because I'm European, because fashion can also be a symbol of social status in Europe."
When asked about his ANDAM win, he smiled and said, "For the French, it's a great honor to receive this award in Paris. It's an award that so many designers I respect have received."
"There were other good brands in the running, but I think my collection was appreciated for being different. It's a mix of high-fashion and street style, and it uses high-quality materials. It's not easy to create clothes like that, but it's one of my greatest strengths."
Julien says he hopes to open his first shop in Tokyo in the near future. "A shop where you can control your own worldview is a very valuable presentation venue for a designer. It's also a great opportunity to communicate directly with customers, so I'm looking forward to the day when I can open such a shop."
The theme of the women's collection for Spring/Summer 2013 is "Spoiled Child." The designs incorporate the story of adolescents discovering their own style. The pop and colorful prints of dinosaurs and toys, which Julien himself drew, also appear in the men's collection.
"I think next Autumn/Winter's collection will be more figurative, abstract, and dressier than ever before," he hinted. The future of creations from Parisians living in Tokyo will be fascinating to watch.
