Could you summarize the spirit of your creative practice in 3 words (or set phrases)?

Embody decayed Flamboyance through Garments.

Emotional Landscapes becoming wearable Sculptures.

Creating a wardrobe for the contemporary Wanderer.

What was the main jumping-off point for the hoodies you create, and the creative process behind them?

I had made a hoodie a few years back painted with dragons, my spirit creature (all my friends know). Before the pandemic Joseph asked if I could make one for him. At the time I had begun my relationship with my partner Paul. As I made the hoodie the figure of two spooning shadows or “empreinte” appeared. Later it became my official brand logo. Following that we made a short film in the fields with a drone and gorgeous music by french producer Malibu. The central spooning symbol is also such a universal yet personal representation of love, everybody has experienced this position. So I guess the main idea is to glorify the immense power of Love.

Give us three images/objects that are on your moodboard.

At the moment I have sets of images of the LiDAR technology; a breathtaking tool used to excavate buried archeological structures with laser and infrared. The images are like layers of geological times. Most remains of Mayan temples in Guatemala were found this way.

Then I am re-reading “Ghosts of my life” , a book by Mark Fisher. The concept he called “Hauntology '' interests me deeply in relation to my obsession for archeology, things that vanished, decaying in link with the uncertainty of our future as a collective mind. It's quite a dark book but it keeps me sane to have it near me when I work.

It sits on my desk next to my collection of stones I gather during my hiking trips. Some are covered with moss, and lichen fungi. My favorite is a dark quartz stone my boyfriend found, you can see the tectonic plate grind very clearly! They are the core part of the new collection I am developing now.

What do the hoodies you create embody/symbolize?

The Ritual Hoodies carry a powerful message of love and empathy. Behind the illustrative beauty of the hand painted motifs, there is a potential to access a dreamscape. They are like metaphysical cocoons where the wearer can find comfort in. The word “Ritual” isn’t there for a shallow aesthetical reason. It’s truly a ritual as I make each of them. I let go into a cathartic state. Making these unique pieces is something intimate, done in the peace of my atelier. I inject love in them through every hand stroke, and the motifs appear like magic crop circles carved in the earth, only here it is fabric. People who got a Ritual Hoodie from me can feel this flow of energy from my portal to theirs, it is like a contemporary armor to survive the dark times we live in. At the end of the day one might say it’s a piece of clothing, sure, but the intention behind it shouldn't be undermined and mine is extremely emotional.

Are there any particular techniques that you want to highlight?

For me, craftsmanship is important. Artisana is key in my practice, hand painting/drawing is a craft I used since I was a child, thanks to my mother who taught me how to sketch. I want to blend this artistic element with my fashion practice. Illustration can be such a soothing process, and being able

to wear it has something quite cleansing. In my new collection I also develop a lot of new textures that flirt with the biological world. Nature is my biggest moodboard.

Tell us about the images seen here. What sort of conversations were they born of?

I wanted to add another layer of symbols into the Ritual Hoodie story. This series is an ode to Tolkien of course! Being a huge adept of the medieval period and all the fantasy that came out of this time, I wanted to join this with the contemporary garment, that is, a hoodie. We also wanted to keep the notion of “epic narrative” which is central to my work. Also it was very important to get my friends to model in this project. That way we all went into a common quest. We looked at paintings to inspire the poses of the models; such as John William Waterhouse, pre-raphaelite revival of the medieval figures, Edmund Leight’s paintings of knights, this haunting painting “Queen Joanna the Mad” by Francisco Pradilla, clair-obscur Rembrandts masterpieces and many more. We wanted to have a pictorial dialogue through history.

What makes Joseph Kadow's creative perspective distinct? What makes him an ideal collaborator?

Joseph is such a natural visionary. He has this understanding of my world and vice versa. Since the first time we met back in 2017 in Berlin, we became very close friends and collaborators. Not sure how to describe it, it is more of a feeling. We just click, and very quickly wonderful things appear. He has shot all my work and it resulted in the most poetic and epic images. He also was there since the start of the hoodie, and he immortalized my love for my boyfriend in a short film to present the spooning logo. We wanted to pursue this creative dialogue further.

What celebrity/style icon do you see wearing your work? Where are they, and what are they wearing from it?

Might sound specific but how cool would it be to have David Attenborough wear my hoodie while talking about a paradise bird in the rainforest. My ultimate icon would be Björk wearing one of my Nature inspired dresses.

I would love to see Caroline Polacheck and Fka Twigs wear my work. My silicone plant dresses or the reflective couture dress from my last collection, they would look stunning in them. I am sure they would love the concepts behind my work.

I felt so happy to have Zendaya purchase one of my Mud Green hoodie, seeing that she actually wears it in her private time and loves it is a big achievement. Also many people from the artistic fields like artist Donna Huanca or Zara Larsson push me to pursue my creative visions. My biggest joy is to see my friends wearing my pieces. I am grateful for the love I received through my practice, especially for the Apoc Store team who took me under their wings from the beginning. They have been an incredible support and I am glad to be part of this dazzling creative adventure. And the best is… it’s only just started!

An interview between artist Thibaut Knapp and fashion journalist Mahoro Seward for I-D Magazine.