Frédéric della Faille - Checkthis

Pullover : COS

Pullover : Kenzo

Pant : Sandro

Pullover : Commune de Paris

Pullover : Stephan Schneider

Pant : COS

Shoes : Common Project

Pullover : Stephan Schneider

After spending my first personal shopping day with my old pal Frédéric, on visit in Brussels, I decided to interview him about his startup Checkthis he developed 4 months ago in New York.

Frédéric della Faille is one of the most experienced Belgian web designer. Coming from the graffiti world, he is building websites and such  since the nineties for various agencies. He then co-founded and managed Bureau347 during 10 years. Big product lover, he decided to quit everything -- including his sport car -- to focus all his time on Checkthis, a revolutionary publishing platform listed as one of the top 25 New York City startups to watch.

So, who are you?

I'm Frédéric della Faille, the founder and designer of Checkthis. I started to express my creativity on walls by doing graffitis in the early nineties. I was then a really bad student and very often out painting at nights.

It took me 7 years to complete 3 years before dropping out college. Then I did two years in Typography at La Cambre but that was again too academical, so I started to play with Photoshop and internet in 1996. I directly felt deeply in love with the instantaneity of updating a website in minutes, no print process, no ink, no paper, just update your HTML and upload it to your server. So I dropped out of La Cambre and found a job as web designers, then got more responsibilities and ended-up managing a team at 23 years old. I then co-founded and managed Bureau347 during 10 years, a digital communication agency in Brussels.

How did you come up with the idea of Checkthis, especially since social websites like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc already existed on the market?

Every day, I have quick things to share with friends and family. A new idea, a quick message, and plenty of other things that do not fit in a tweet or a status on Facebook, and that certainly don't require a blog or a full website. And it seems I'm not the only one. Jean Montevideo,a musician friend (with a big fan-base) called me more than 3 years ago to ask how to share his latest music video and some info on a nice background. Not a full website or a blog that would need updating. He just wanted to share a clean and simple page instantly on Facebook and Twitter. I realized there was no answer. No one had built it. So I created Checkthis.

Checkthis is the perfect companion of social networks. It allows

you to add more content, change the look of it, and share it with your friends or followers.

The biggest difference with Tumblr is that a blog is like a book,

every post is a page of this book while Checkthis is the best platform to share a powerful and visually effective message. Today people use Checkthis to share a party invite, to setup a quick poll, to show a creative project, or even to sell stuff -- like I did with all my belongings when leaving to New York.

How did you create the design?

The design of Checkthis is a never-ending process. When you're building a product you are never happy with how it looks and how it works. But you make it the best you can. Then you look at how people use it and interact with it (in fact, mostly where they are stuck), and you go back to your draft and design a better solution for these specific weakness you didn't thought of.
That said, I mostly try to un-design our product. Every time I succeed to remove a button, an effect or a step, I feel way better. It's not an art, it's not a science, it really is what designing is all about.

Do you consider yourself a geek?

I'm a geek and I'm not a geek. I don't know what a geek is. Are these ladies playing with their iPhone sending tweets, instagramming their food, or asking friend's advices on this or that geeks? I think most of us are geeks, and that's a huge opportunity for anyone building a consumer product.

Is there a recipe for success for Checkthis and your venture in New York City?

Things are going great for Checkthis. New York will allow us to go one step further in the media world by closing deals with big companies. I also have access to a bunch of super smart people that made it, people who got millions of users or sold companies for tens of millions of dollars. For example I have a CEO coach who I meet once a week, a young but extremely brilliant guy who made tons of millions and who believe so hard in what we're doing.I can't imagine that in Belgium, but I may be wrong.

New York is also super inspiring, people understand mobile. I mean everyone understand mobile there. They are out most of the nights so it's impossible to not having a smart phone and sending emails, looking at Maps, using some apps. This is exactly the kind of people who inspire us to work harder and building a valuable product that fits their busy lives. Creative people who go out, and New York is full of these.

So when will we see a Checkthis App?

Our iPhone app starts to look not too bad. It works, it's fun, we

still have some work to do but it will be out in December. I
really hope that all my Belgians friends will play with it so we can stay connected in a much more creative way that we can do now with apps like Facebook or Instagram. We'll keep you posted :-)

Visit checkthis

http://checkthis.com

Follow Frédéric on Twitter

http://twitter.com/fred_dela

Photography : Julie Calbert

Stylism/Personal shopping : Camille Valère-Gille

Thanks to "Le Delecta"

KIM MEE HYE

What made you feel like designing jewelry ?

The meeting, in Ibiza, of a person who mixed good taste and craftsmanship, with finesse and character. I found a source of inspiration in that person's creations. The transformation of raw materials into jewelry is a noble form of art that fascinated me right away. That is why, when I came back to Belgium, I decided to follow a training, to set one foot in the world of the precious, Very quickly I decided to specialize in jewelry design, because what I liked above all, it is the creativity and ideas. Attention to details, patience and techniques were acquired during my workshop time.

What are your sources of inspiration ?

My daily life, my friends and travel. I am surrounded by creative friends that inspire my daily life and therefore the KMH universe. My husband is a tattoo artist and because we're very interested in each others' world, we influence each others' work quite a lot. This creative process is repeated with all things in life and every sincere encounter crossing my path. 

What does jewelry represents for you ?

Jewelery is way more than just a prop, it represents a part of you and you have the choice to show it  off or not. I'm touched by the fragility and hidden parts of things, People love it when everything is revealed, but I’m not like that. There's a certain part of confidentiality in GOLD's jewels, represented by KMH

The GOLD collection has to be seen as a day to day thing. The collection enjoys the luxury of being wearable in all situations, even if it needs to be discreet. Those are rough and have raw shapes, but never extravagant in the way it was crafted. I'm someone who does not always take the time to associate things together, and therefor it seemed obvious to me that jewelry needs to adapt to us and not the opposite.

Do you feel close to the universe or your Filles à Papa's friends ?

FAP remixes classics and ways of life. They allow girls to have fun without waiting for the fever of the night. There are no rules, everything is allowed and yet everything is sincere. I feel very close to them as a brand, as I’m their number one fan. For me, dressing up is a way of expressing myself. And as I told you earlier, I find my inspiration in my daily life. And they are part of it. ;-)

KIM MEE HYE - Offical 
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A/W 2012 Piece d'Anarchive - Interview

 

 Model : Natalia Vodianova

 Photography : Paolo Roversi 

Hello,

I am very happy and proud to present you today the interview of the three creators of the prestigious parisian brand "Piece d'Anarachive" covering their winter collection.
I hope to hear from them again soon.
Enjoy.
C.
Français : 

Comment a été accueillie votre première collection ?

La première collection à reçu un très bon accueil puisque nous avons eu de belles retombées presse (toutes visibles sur notre site www.piecedanarchive.com), et que nous avons commencé une distribution dans 7 boutiques prestigieuses parmi lesquelles Colette et Montaigne Market à Paris, Corso Como à Milan, Blake à Chicago, Just one Eye à Los Angeles, et Susan à San Francisco.

Nous ne pouvions espérer mieux puisque notre objectif est de séduire cette clientèle haut de gamme.

Nous serons d'ailleurs présentes chez Sien à Anvers pour notre 2ème collection automne/hiver.

Paolo Roversi signe une deuxième campagne pour vous, comment s'est passé le shooting avec Natalia Vodianova ?

Nous sommes encore un peu jeune pour envisager une campagne, mais c'est vrai que Paolo nous soutient depuis 2 saisons en collaborant sur notre dossier de presse.

C'est une très jolie rencontre! Au fil de nos conversations sur le shooting de la 2ème collection, nous avons évoqué Natalia (amie de Paolo), sans même oser imaginer que cela puisse se réaliser un jour. Natalia à accepté de nous rencontrer et de poser pour nous. C'était très émouvant de la voir se prendre au jeu et évoluer dans nos vêtements le jour du shooting. Le résultat est bien au delà de nos espérances pour une deuxième collection. Nous sommes conscientes de la chance que nous avons de commencer avec de tels atouts.

En quoi diffère votre nouvelle collection ?

La seconde collection A/H 2012 est née du mariage dissident entre l'esthétique de Madmax et la délicatesse des fleurs asiatiques. Elle puise son écriture dans la rencontre de matériaux forts (cuir matelassé, passepoil en rainure, zip métallique, clous, maille rendu Néoprène) avec des textures fines et des détails subtilement féminins (motif floral traduit en jacquard cloqué, laine mérinos, mohair moelleux, bas de jupe en corolle).

Un peu plus étoffé que le chapitre 1, le second opus intègre 24 nouveaux design,  principalement en maille. Notre langage se développe cependant autour d'une nouvelle matière: le cuir, avec quatre pièces travaillées en agneau plongé et intégrant des ceintures en smoke.

English : 

 How was welcomed your first collection ?

The first collection received a warm welcome for we had a very good press coverage (all readable on our website  www.piecedanarchive.com), and we began distribution in seven prestigious boutiques including Colette and Montaigne Market in Paris, Corso Como in Milan, Blake in Chicago, Just one Eye in Los Angeles, and Susan in San Francisco. We couldn't hope for a better start, since our goal was to appeal to an upscale clientele. We will also be present at Sien, in Antwerp, for our second Fall/Winter collection.

Paolo Rovesi signed for a second campaign with you, how was the shooting with Natalia Vodianova ?

We still consider ourselves a little bit too young to consider a campaign, but it is true that Paolo supported us for two consecutive seasons by collaborating on our press releases.

It was a wonderful encounter. As we were discussing about the shooting of the second collection, we mentioned Natalia (Paolos's friend), without even daring to imagine that this could actually happen one day. Natalia agreed to meet us and then posed for us. It was very emotional to see her getting involved in the project and strolling in our cloth line on the day of the shoot.

The results are far beyond our expectations for a second collection and we are aware of the amazing opportunity to start with such assets.

What differs in your new collection ?

The second Fall/Winter 2012 collection is born from the maverick  union between the Mad Max aesthetic and the fineness of asian flowers. The collection draws its writing in the merge of strong materials (quilted leather, style line piping, metallic zippers, nails, mesh with Neoprene rendering) together with delicate textures and subtle feminine details (floral patterns embossed on jacquard matelassé, mérinos wool, mellow mohair, corolla hemmed skirt). A bit more fleshed out than the first chapter, the second opus consist of 24 new designs, mainly made out of mesh. Our grammar, however, develops itself around a new material, leather, with four crafted pieces of lambskin with integrated smoked leather belts.

 

Piece d'Anarchive - Official

Opening Vega salon

 

Today was held the opening of the Vega hairdressing salon.
It's important to me because it is the fulfillment of my two friends, lovers in real life and great hairdressers which are Anthony and Massimo.
Vintage and futuristic atmosphere at the same time, which perfectly corresponds to their own image.
Tested and approved.
C.

Photography : Tine Claerhout

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OMSK - Interview

OMSK is a label founded in 2011 by the designer duo Valéria Siniouchkina and Philippe Koeune. In 2007 the duo launched the clothing label GIRLS FROM OMSK, proposing collections rooted in the streetwear aesthetics with a designer wear approach. After 4 years, the name GIRLS FROM OMSK became simply OMSK. OMSK is a label strongly rooted in its time proposing a blend of casual and designer wear with a fresh and accessible twist, for both women and men. Strong prints, structured and straightforward cuts are the essence of OMSK collections.
OMSK's universe is about travel and Russian culture. 

Why did you change your name from "Girls from OMSK" to "OMSK"?
 
GIRLS FROM OMSK was originally a streetwear style mixed with dressy pieces. The idea was to propose a wardrobe which is accessible, urban, very graphic and addressing an audience that's young enough. Since the winter of 2010 we felt the need to change the idea to something more dressy related to a more mature sphere, while keeping the founding ideas of the brand : urbanity, 'russitude' and the idea of traveling.

We gradually moved away from our original image and positioning by focusing more on the warp, weft line and mesh.

When we started to develop a men's line, the transition of GIRLS FROM OMSK to OMSK has imposed itself naturally and it felt necessary. OMSK is the big brother / big sister of GIRLS FROM OMSK, the genes are the same, but the girl became a woman and the man has imposed himself into the family to take his own place.

What is your brand made of?

OMSK is a brand offering a casual wardrobe that borrows from contemporary elegance. The brand draws inspiration from Russian culture and traveling: the two keys to our conception and inspiration. Of course we are still attentive to the current trends.
 
What makes OMSK different from the other Belgian brands? 

OMSK distinguishes itself from other brands by its imagery / universe and by its accessibility. We do not define ourselves as a designer brand. We offer an straight forward product at affordable prices. Our playful and offset-ed approach is also, in our view, one of our characteristics.

OMSK - Official

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S/S 2012 Filles à Papa - Interview

Filles à Papa was founded in 2009 by 2 Belgian sisters : Sarah and Carol. The duo has signed a sixth collection that closely resembles themselves: trendy, contrasted and instinctive. They dress the fashionistas who, like them, refuses to take themselves too seriously. One of their primary sources of inspiration is New York, a city where they have lived for some time. 

You launched FAP in 2009, during the economical crisis. Now your brand is being recognized around the world. What are your future plans for it?

FAP: It has a nice presence on the Belgian market and our plans now are to continue to export the brand to other continents. A flagship FAP store  is scheduled in September in the Dansaert hood in Brussels. Big party ahead! Of course we'll notify you on time.

How does FAP differ from other Belgian brands?

FAP: I think we have a strong Universe, a very distinct style which is very Rock And Roll. Our girls are not afraid to open their eyes! We play with contrasts. It creates a lot of strong pieces "Blow Of Heart" in our collections with beautiful materials. Once you wear a FAP piece it's very readable and recognizable. In fact the girls make the look. We match our creations with basics (jeans, worn t-shirts …). Our clients are aware of fashion, they instinctively compose their looks. They like to feel sexy while wearing very casual clothes. We love Belgian fashion. There are incredible designers here but FAP brings a touch of glow and surprise.

In addition to being sisters what are your strong points?

FAP: We're very complementary because of our studies : Sarah has studied design and typography, Carol, graphics, even if we design everything together. We also have very distinctive personalities. There's always one of us to temper or encourage the other. Our work is also the consequence of our different sensibilities. Finally the point is the mixing of our personal styles. Honestly, it's very cool to share this kind of adventure with a sister.

 Links

FAP - Official

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Charlotte - Soldout

 

 

Who are you outside Soldout, can you explain your background?

I've been involved in music since my childhood, my parents enrolled me very early in the academy of music, piano and music theory. It was quite natural for me to continue into the world of music, it just happened gradually.
As a teenager I began to be attracted by photography, the image in general. I developed an artistic sensibility to it.
It was natural for me to study photography at the University of San Francisco. Then back to Brussels, I started study design at the Erg. Anything that relates to art interests me.

What were your influences in music, graphics and especially in fashion?
 
I'm influenced by everything, especially anything that's artistic like movies, books, music. But what influences me a lot as well are my friends, our long conversations and my questioning about everything. In art, I like anything that causes a reaction, and what makes sense. The beautiful side of things doesn't interest me, there must be something else to causes a reflection, a feeling. I like music that touches me. Music without a soul is not for me. Background music, I call it elevator music! I do not think that artists are influenced by fashion, but the opposite.

What's is the role of fashion inside of Soldout ?
Frankly said, fashion doesn't play any role inside of Soldout. Fashion is constantly changing and I like things that remain steady. I try not to be too influenced by fashion. Obviously I'm a little affected by it because we live in a society that dictates how we should feel, but it is not very important to me. The main thing is to feel good about what I wear. I do not attach much importance to a stage outfit either. When people come to our shows, it's the music that matters, not the clothes.

David and you have formed Soldout ten years ago. Of all performances you have done, which live performance do you think of fondly?

The best memory for me was our tour in Germany with Front 242, it was a really special tour. We have developed relationships with the members of Front and I got to know their music better. It influenced us musically and psychologically. We became more confident in ourselves and day by day we evolved. I also have nice memories of the "Dour Festival" and the "Transardentes". It was an incredible atmosphere every time.

The release of your new album is imminent, how do you feel about working on your third album, as those are often crucial albums?

We're very serene and confident. We're approaching a sound that's close to us, something personal, it's very important for us to bring something different, not the same music every time. We had a lot of very good feedback from people around us. It motivates us to keep on going.

We discover your latest EP "Wazabi", do you still consider yourself as an "Eletro-Rock" band?

What is certain is that we make electronic music. But it's not that we define our kind of music, that's the job of our fans and journalists! It's always funny to see who we are compared to, it is interesting to hear that. According to the people's thoughts and mindsets, we are compared to many different groups. Afterwards, we try to find the links between them and us. We do not try to put ourselves into boxes, we just want to try to make music that's close to us and do not get locked into one genre.

Links

SD - Official

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Photography : Grégoire Pleynet