Charles Deroyan – Transmission of thought
The transmission of thought exists for sure. In Paris our friend Charles Deroyan fully demonstrates this with all of his projects, aesthetics, dynamism and creativity that reflect also perfectly the world of OLOW …
After years of virtually talking with him, I finally met the man over a beer at the “Planchettes” exhibition in Paris. We talked about his many travels, his great webzine Sixand5 with which he has already made partner and his latest project: MAMAMA, a well polished clothing brand. Here’s the interview with our brother in arms.
Hi Charles, how have you been since the “Planchettes” exhibition?
Good! Lots of work, but there are also a lot of good things happening, so it’s going pretty well.
For those who don’t know you, can you introduce yourself in a few words (unless I have already said everything in the intro ha ha)
Yeah you’ve basically covered the key points! Let’s see what I can add … I was born in Marseille, I spent my childhood in Bayonne, I studied next to Lille and it’s been 3 years since I moved to Paris. I created Sixand5 in 2011,a fashion and general graphic culture magazine and in January I started my brand MAMAMA. We have just launched the third collection for this and I also do some creations under the name Aecho. If you want some information that is a little more exclusive, I stopped having acne at the end of high school, I am a passive smoker and I like gnocchi.
We’ll start by talking about Sixand5 that I love so much … I am always impressed with the quality of the content and frequency of articles … Can you tell me more about this project you have been doing for several years ?
The rate of my articles impress me too! If I had have had the same diligence at school my teachers would have left me alone … And for the quality… thanks! It’s always motivating to have good feedback on what we do, this is really what gives me an opportunity to continue to work hard every day. Unlike my other projects, Sixand5 is my personal project that I created alone from start to finish, so even if sometimes it’s a bit complicated because I can’t rely on someone else when I go on holiday for example, I don’t have to justify to anyone regarding this project, I can edit what I want, choose what articles I want etc … it’s really cool.
How did you end up doing this? What had you done before establishing the magazine?
So my journey before really has nothing to do with what I do today and from when I created Sixand5. I obtained an engineering degree in Technology of Polymer Materials and Composites … Basically, I wanted to work in the surf industry ( surfboards are made from composite material), I also worked a little for shapers in France and Hawaii , but when I left the Basque Country I drifted a little ..
A little while ago when you were in Asia you spoke of a clothing project. Did this trip develop the idea for your clothing brand Mamama ? Why Mamama?
I wanted to travel at the end of my studies and take a little time to think about what I wanted to do. I had several ideas but my head was a bit of a mess. I changed my mind every day and I couldn’t set myself on a particular project. The change of environment was a good way to take a step back and allow me to make the right decision. I therefore went for an indefinite period , and I came back when I finally found what I wanted to do . On my return , I talked to Jean and Reynald ( my partners at mamama ) and this is how the brand was born .
For the name, we wanted something that emphasizes the originality. An originality that we seek to apply to our clothes and we also wanted a name that can be pronounced in all languages. Within the image of what we want to do with MAMAMA is offer clothes with collaborations with artists from all walks of life. We have for example worked with French but also a Thai , English , a Singaporean , an Australian , and a Japanese person …
TYou have been one of our best supports from the beginning. Why did you always pass on our news ?
I love the spirit of Olow , and expo “Planchettes” reinforced this. Unlike many brands, you really put forth the artists you work with, we have the impression that Olow is a bit like a big family and your friendly side really makes people want to support you. After that there’s no secret , the last lookbook is probably the best I’ve seen, with the xcvb for the FW13 season, so Olow or not , I would have passed on the info!
So how did you find the “Planchettes” exhibition? What were your favorite 3 boards?
Brilliant! The concept, the choice of artists, the scenography .. Congratulations guys, I was really impressed! I see quite a lot of exhibitions with artists that are sometimes also very good, but when there is a real creativity with regards to the concept like this one, it’s a breath of fresh air!
My favorite boards were Jean Jullien, Doberman, Pedro Richardo.
What other projects do you have on the horizon?
In the near future we will set up a booth with MAMAMA at the Pitchfork Festival in a few days time and then continue to prepare the collections for next year. We also have a few capsules that come out before Christmas, one with a French music label called Stellar Kinematics. Apart from that I am working alongside the creation of an online shop and magazine in the line of Sixand5 although that’s for later.
MAMAMA : Facebook Page | Website
Sixand5 : Facebook Page | Website
