Jean-Charles de Castelbajac in Tel Aviv
Background:
Last night, on Tuesday June 26th to be exact, the thrilling
interdisciplinary fashion designer Jean-Charles
de Castelbajac lectured at Beit
Ha'ir ("City House"), Tel Aviv
 |
| Jean-Charles de Castelbajac at Beit Ha'ir, Tel Aviv, photo by Juliette Gold |
It
was 20:30 p.m. on a warm, summery Tuesday night. There was peace and quiet on
the Bialic Square
at Tel Aviv
 |
| The walls of the Beit Ha'ir museum, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac at Tel Aviv, photo source: Castelbajac's Facebook Page |
 |
| The crowd, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac at Tel Aviv, photo source: Castelbajac's Facebook Page |
Seasoning
it with humor and fun, Castelbajac explained his vision of creativity. He told
us about his childhood, his past, and the sources of his inspiration. Jean-Charles de
Castelbajac 1950 in Casablanca ,
Morocco and a few years
later his family moved to France
{ He
built his imagination on wound, his creativity on failure and his strength on
loneliness. }
During
his years in boarding school he developed his fascination with color. When all
of his classmates kept their chocolaty treasures in identical wooden boxes, he
asked his mother for a blue plastic box. Even though his candies have all gone
bad in the sealed container, the color and individuality gave him hope. He kept
that unique, colorful, and extraordinary child with him throughout the 40 years
of his career.
{
Color = Hope }
 |
| Little Jean-Charles, photo source: Castelbajac's Facebook Page |
Since
one should never conclude a day without learning something new, I bring to you the
summery of all the new content that now inhabits my brain:
 |
| Jean-Charles de Castelbajac at Beit Ha'ir, Tel Aviv, photo by Juliette Gold |
Don't be afraid of failure:
At
the age of 17, Castelbajac graduated from boarding school. With no experience,
no diploma, and zero desire of becoming a fashion designer, he started working
for his mother, who owned a fashion business. Yet, instead of reveling in
self-pity Castelbajac became … well, Castelbajac.
{
"There's emotion in things we don't achieve" ~ Jean-Charles de Castelbajac
Open your eyes:
He
finds his inspiration in things that people don't see, in the everyday life, in
accidents. His advice - look around yourself. Inspiration is everywhere.
Have a clear say:
Each
collection he creates has its own manifesto, a distinct saying. His current
line, for instance, deals with "Dystopia". Castelbajac says that
Dystopia describes our time – the rapid existence in which we abandon
traditions and forget old beliefs.
{ "you
don't just buy a piece of clothing. You buy a philosophy, an idea". }
 |
| photo source: Castelbajac's Facebook Page |
First impression is everything:
In
a fashion show, Castelbajac said, the first garment on the runway sets the tone
of the entire show. When his whole collection is complete, he spends hours in
the studio pondering on the selection process.
Laugh at yourself:
After
his divorce, Castelbajac created a double poncho that had a zipper in the
middle.
Learn from others:
Castelbajac
says he absolutely can't work alone. He has to be in a studio and around
people. Theirs is always something we can learn from others. Their perspectives
are contributive, not disturbing.
Last and most important: Stay true to yourself:
Even
though that during the 90's grunge era, Castelbajac's colorful and poppy
designs lacked popularity, he remained loyal to his aesthetic. Surprisingly
enough, since his clothes were sold on sales and in cheap department stores,
they became popular among the rising NY rappers. Now, JZ has a collection of
these then-disapproved sweats and they are sold for thousands of dollars on
e-bay!
{
" What you do can have more than one life. It's about whether you're
sincere or not." ~ Jean-Charles
de Castelbajac
