Virginie Muys (Paris)

Who are you ?

I'm of French and Belgian origins. I spent a few years in Brussels before settling in Paris, ten years ago. My world always revolved around music.

Back in those days, Brussels was the place to be for electronic music. I got my experience from organizing parties and working at Fuse club, during the nineties. I also worked at Prive Joke and Sergio Rossi, and all this while remote-studying in a French school. My influences were Street, Luxury and Music.

When I was young, I roamed through festivals and skateboard competitions. I was always attracted by the extreme end of things, by worlds that are in true opposition.

I started as a PR in an office in Paris, but I couldn't be involved in it completely so chose to work in the event industry for luxury brands.

I liked to create scenographies and atmospheres in a visual way but also through international musicians and DJ. After 8 years I had this crazy idea of creating my own clothing brand. It was obvious that I had to do it and the people I previously met in my life gave me the energy to make that big jump.

We were three and we left everything to create this wonderful brand that is PIECE D'ANARCHIVE.

I was obviously not the designer but the three of us participated to the synergy of the brand, its values, public image and creations. 

I left this beautiful adventure for personal reasons, but it confirmed my pleasure of mixing fashion with other fields, and most of all dealing with projects, placing the right people and make sure everything runs smoothly.

Today I also have other projects, like the development of a concept created by Sarah Joe and André Cymbalista :"THE SOUND OF THE SEASON".

Joining them was obvious since this project had all the ingredients I liked. THE SOUND OF THE SEASON is an album compiling all the best songs used during fashion shows. In between each track, we placed some excerpts of sound recordings of fashion shows entrance, or backstage bits. The idea is to give a musical colour to each season.

This idea seduced me from the start, and I wanted to be part of it, to push the concept further. That's why nowadays I'm working on creating my sound design agency.

For each album release, we try to organize a party during the fashion week. It was during the Paris Fashion Week that, in collaboration with Colette, we mixed worlds that are usually separated. Today, the success for the Belgian parties come from the mix of different people, united in partying and good music. This is what I believe in, and this is what we try to do with "The sound of Season".

We need to mix people from the art world, music and fashion industry, and of course our friends. Besides that project I also continue to do consultant jobs in scenography, image and sound for brands. And of course I still DJ as much as I can.

What are your influence ?

There are many of them. Years after years I mingled with very different worlds. I went from skateboarding competitions, to some of the biggest european clubs and Parisian fashion shows. I loved going to London where, back in those days, you could still see some real punks with red and green hair. I dreamed of New York, the Velvets, Andy Warhol, Patti Smith, Larry Levan, television,... I've always liked to mix the opposites and it was visible in my look, especially when I was young and everything was allowed. I like more or less all the ages, all the worlds, but I select very personal things in them, pictures and sounds that I feel attracted to. My identity is varied and precise at the same time.

Where is the best place to DJ ?

I like to mix everywhere, to share my tastes and my influences. I don't do concessions in music. I like when people participate, touching them with tracks that touch me. I'm not shy. I'm not a jukebox. People say that I'm too connoisseur, but I think I'm not connoisseur enough !

The most difficult situation is when you don't sync with the people. I recently emptied a dance-floor in a party in Brussels. There was only 3 people left but one came to me and said :" I really like what you do, and my favorite DJ is Yvan Smagghe". No concessions that night. There was another room and people were free to go around, but I don't regret anything. That person saved my night ! THANKS 

What do you listen to at the moment ?

Tons of things ! I'm a big fan of the compilation album "A man & a machine" from my Parisian friend, or the metal-dance-industrial-post punk compilation album of Trevor Jackson. There's a lot of new wave gems in there.

I still listen to the Talking heads, fad gadget, the smith, Joy Division, the clash, the doors, the velvet underground.

For recent stuff, it's more difficult to explain since I may like only one track of and artist I don't usually like. My top 5 would be : Yvan Smagghe, Tim Paris, Chloé, Barnt, Andrew Weatherall.

And for the latest albums : Sachienne, art department, pantha du prince, David Shaw and the beat, the eyes in the Heat, Yan Wagner, Daniel Maloso, the compilation albums dirty and get a room.

What is the role of Fashion ?

Fashion has always been a big part of my life. My mother was a fashion addict, one of the first women to wear the man's suit from YSL. I was bathed in the beauty world thanks to her. Since my parents were quite old, it was a style where women had a strong character, classy, elegant, stunning, a cold beauty that puts them out of reach. Fashion has no role per se, but it is still naturally a part of my life. It's part of my job, past present and future, but I quite don't know how to explain it. Fashion is so overused, so subjective. One day you're fashionable, and the next day you're not. It all depends on what's on your path. I've never thought about it, I was born in it. It's not only clothes, it's the way people mix and wear,,,, and broadcast a message. Sensibility is very important. I'm attracted to people who can use fashion to highlight a part of their personality. Fashion Week party people are usually the least fashionable people. 

It's a matter of personality.

Can you describe your style ?

I'm a chameleon. Most of the time I feel at ease in ample clothes, tomboy style (large black denim, tee-shirt or shirt, sweater, navy caban, a beanie during winter/ short blue denim, white t-shirt, Vans or Derbie, Céline clutch or denim backpack during summer). It's because of my Parisian scooter life.

I also like to be elegant and classy, but when I wear a dress, I always «break» my look with a masculine accessory (hat, derbie,...).

Any addiction ?

Red wine, shrimps croquettes, drinks and good restaurants.

Sun, Eres underwear and "éclairs au chocolat"

Any beauty tip ?

Beauty water from Caudalie

Body oil from Avène, 

Golden glitter eyeliner under the eye and Musc oil from Colette .

Any books ?

Dolce agonia from Nancy Huston

Kids, Patti smith

Tout ce que j'aimais, Siri Hustvedt

Please Kill me, Legs Mcneil & Gillian Mc Can

Fragments, Marylin Monroe

Linving, Jenny Holzer
Bonjour Tristesse, Françoise Sagan

What do you have in your bag ?

A pack of Marlboro Light

My Iphone, earphones and keys.

What about your films ?

Les valseuses

Mister Freedom

Un Singe en Hiver

24 hour Party People

The party

Who are you, polly maggou ?

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest 

Clockwork Orange

Le mépris

Paris Texas

Les frissons de l’angoisse

Pierrot le fou

Permanent Vacation

La boum

Ciao Manhanttan

Midnight Express

Control

Melancolia

Some good places in Brussels ?

I unfortunately visit Brussels less often, but I still keep some good adresses :

 Shopping :

Stijn underwear,

The Dansaert neighborhood

The Charlotte boutique « La meute »

 Resto :

The Old saint martin, 

The Canterbury

Club : 

Cat club of course

What are your icons ?

Nico,

Jane Birkin

Patti Smith

Serge Gainsbourg

Prince

Yves Saint Laurent

Bob Dylan

David Bowie

Aurore Daerden

Romy Schneider

Ingrid Bergman

Mia Farrow

Anna Karina

Julianne Moore

Favorite designers ?

Phoebe Philo pour Céline

Julien David

Nicolas Gesquière

Rei Kawakubo

Proenza Schouler

Artists ?

Olafur Elianson

Mark Borthwick

Francesca Woodman

Herb Luballin

Jean Michel Basquiat

Andy Warhol

Hiroshi Sugimoto

Todd Hido

Claude Leveque

Olaf Breuning