How would you describe what you do?
Jean Cocteau once said he was a jack of all trades because everything touched him. I'd say I am a multidisciplinary artist, and that every discipline I explore expands and deepens the power of my expression.
Why do you do it?
As a child, I drew to fill the loneliness I felt while at boarding school, far away from my parents. Later, I began imagining a different way of dressing, a way of transforming what I lacked. I worked with humble materials that no one valued – mops, shower curtains, blankets, and the like. These were the materials that had protected me, so I turned them into garments. At that moment, my work became the identity manifesto of my anger, and people began to notice me. I built artistic approach on the raw power of material itself, as a forceful reclaiming of the traditional codes of elegance. It was a form of anti-fashion. I felt very close in spirit to Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren. From then on, I have lived my practice as an ongoing exploration, a journey toward art, the sacred, and the invisible. This has shaped all of my collaborations, whether with fellow artists or with the church. I am driven by a quest: to create a universe, an emotional and powerful space through which I can play a part in the movement of the world, to bring colour and hope to people living in a society that is becoming increasingly dystopian.
Who or what inspires you?
For a long time, I believed that danger and torment were the inevitable companions of inspiration. ‘Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die', as Malcolm McLaren famously said. Rhythm, music and guitars have always been the heartbeat of my creative process, and the encounters I have had in that world have been truly magical. I have been inspired by the ghosts of the past, history itself, 19th-century English literature, the artists I've met. But what has inspired me more than anything else – and why I believe my work has reached a new level of maturity today – is love. The epic dimension of love, and the certainty that, through my creations, there is always a signal of hope. Among the defining moments of my inspiration has also been the privilege of working for the church and placing my talent at the service of my faith.
What creative work got you excited when you were a teenager, and how does it align with what you're into now?
Everything that was connected to music. When I discovered the bands from Manchester, Liverpool and London, I was no longer alone. Everything changed for me. I loved their sound, their names – The Yardbirds, The Pretty Things, The Who, and the first album covers that made their way out to the provinces. They transformed record shops into museums of contemporary art. Then, at 18, came May 1968 and the art of revolution, the posters, the aesthetics of upheaval, the smell of burning tyres, the black smoke against the most beautiful backdrop in the world: Paris.
How would you describe your experience of working with Palace Skateboards?
In the masterclasses I give, I always tell the students to form a band: the singer as communicator, the lead guitarist as creative force, the bass player as logistics, and the drummer to lead the good news. With Palace, I found my band. I have known them for a long time; they are very close-knit, a team with a very clear philosophy, a kind of excellence. Gareth and his companions often manage to surprise me. I love their choice of collaborations, from Wedgwood to Vivienne Westwood. Their journey is an epic symphony of modernity.
What were your thoughts on Palace prior to working with them?
I think about their community, about the Palace spirit, about this notion of universal signs that inhabit the brand and its symbols of recognition, about the dimension of a universal language. Creating images that will leave a mark on people's minds, at the heart of which a generation can recognise itself.
What are you currently working on?
I have just finished work on a book, published by Thames & Hudson, about my style and many different experiences: fashion, art, design, scenography, music, and all my collaborations with other artists.
Favourite restaurant?
La Langosteria at the Cheval Blanc hotel in Paris. But I also love culinary experiences, particularly those of We Are Ona.
Anything you'd recommend?
I am currently reading A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens. I am listening to Sleaford Mods, Ben Kidson, Baxter Dury and Erik Satie. I can't wait to see the Bayeux Tapestry in London.
Tens of thousands of real human Wallpaper* print edition readers are out there: what is your message to them?
Creating means anticipating the consequences of an action, and the way in which one can influence society in a humanistic and positive dimension. The sources of inspiration that have always been mine, and my priorities – ecology, art for everyone as a social cement, total and undisciplined art – have become foundational sources of inspiration. The dogmas that once supported the institutional tent are becoming fragile. Only art and the sacred can bring people together. Like sport, they are rare and apolitical forces capable of uniting people through immersive experiences that bring us together. This is where my imagination flourishes today. This is where I find my mission, where the strength of my creativity is at its zenith – as when I created the scenography and the liturgical vestments for the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris.