Vincent Frederic-Colombo on redefining Creole identity with a unisex approach

Vincent Frederic-Colombo is a person who is at once very personal, very different from reality and very present in many universes: Parisian fashion designer, artistic director, casting director, DJ, co-founder of a very popular Parisian party collective and music curator. His fashion line, CREOLE, is also part of a larger artistic universe.

CREOLE’s roots can be traced back to Creole Soul, a fashion and visual research manifesto and subsequent photography project co-founded with photographer Fanny Viguier that focused on and celebrated the Creole diaspora. (It would also spawn La Créole, Frédéric-Colombo and Viguier’s favorite party series “born out of interculturality.”) With the brand, Frédéric-Colombo was able to “reframe Creole identity” through designs that serve as a connection point between the past and the future, using elements like the Pan-African flag and transforming classic silhouettes like workwear into something that felt unique to Frédéric-Colombo’s history.

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His most recent show, at Paris Fashion Week Men’s, was inspired by the 1976 eruption of the La Soufrière volcano in Frédéric-Colombo’s native Guadeloupe archipelago. Titled MAGMA 76, the show featured designs, music and energy inspired by the resilience that emerges in the wake of destruction. Frédéric-Colombo also walked in a fashion show at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, showing his own designs on a runway that also featured the work of other Parisian designers. For Frédéric-Colombo, these kinds of opportunities could only come in Paris, which has provided a rich setting for the “new narratives, new references, new visions and new rules” he creates through CREOLE.

This is what image making means to me: Creating an image is about building images, finding a balance between documentary and fantasy. The most important aspect is to draw on real life and real characters, adding poetry to it. I like the idea of ​​creating new narratives, new references, new visions and new rules.

A sentence that best describes my creations: Rethinking Creole identity with a unisex approach, a touch of sensuality, roots influences and good workwear cuts. Celebration of identity, body and soul.

People who wear CREOLE. have this in common: Confidence and perfection; they like comfortable, simple but strong models. They have an authentic energy with roots (and) vibrations.

My approach to personal style looks like this: I like a fluid approach to fashion. It can be simple and strong, imprinted with many symbolic codes from historical details. I want to push the narrative of each collection. I also like to base my designs on simple and strong cuts inspired by military or work wardrobes. I like to add subversive details with sexy, queer or political references in my designs.

My Paris looks like: A multicultural, progressive and challenging city. What I love about Paris is that it feels like a big village with different vibes, scenes and communities. I love the fluidity of this city. I am based in the 11th arrondissement, which is definitely one of the most pleasant neighborhoods. I love walking around this city, admiring the architecture, beauty and art everywhere.

My work reveals this about the city: This city is one of the best places for opportunities. If you meet the right people or just have a strong vision, you can grow and make strong connections. Sometimes the hardest part is taking the leap to make your dream come true. What I learned working quietly behind the scenes in casting, styling, retail and parties is to fight with a clear vision, no matter how difficult it is. I am based in Paris, but my ambition is international. My French or Parisian touch comes from an intellectual approach and experimentation with the artisanal techniques of couture, close to all the big brands on the calendar. Paris is the perfect incubator to explore a sense of fashion with alternative points of view and to be part of the industry because it is one of the biggest cities to be present in fashion.

This article was originally published in the Los Angeles Times.