Fresh from FLORIST

October 09, 2019

The last time I visited a florist I left with a dozen orange roses, a bouquet that I thought hit a sweet spot between romantic and spontaneous. The last time George Banks handed off a FLORIST creation, it was in the form of a leather bag, in a style both sentimental and refined.

Banks is an Australian-born maker who moved to New York three years ago and has since started the brand FLORIST, a word embroidered in bubble letters at the bottom of some of his bucket bags, accompanied sometimes by soft fabric flowers or fleecy smiley faces. FLORIST is a small batch operation, and each bag is handmade by Banks, who drops them off from his bike to customers who feel like they’ve just gifted themselves a bouquet that never spoils.

Text and Interview by Savannah Whitmer
Photos by FLORIST

In fact, FLORIST proved itself an instant classic. What was once a brand as underground as your favorite Chinatown knock-off stop is now a booming business. office spoke with the up-and-coming designer about fake flowers, spaghetti westerns, and what’s next for FLORIST.

How did you get into making embroidered bags?

I always like to add little expressions to my clothes, through either painting or embroidery. Hand embroidery was far too time consuming, so I taught myself to chain stitch. Initially I was making bags as a little side project after hours at my old work. I loved working on large motifs and loved the idea that someone would be walking around the streets with my work on display, in the form of a bag.

What kind of technical training do you have?

I'm not technically trained, I’ve just taught myself everything through trial and error. I really enjoy the process of trying to figure out how to make something or how to use a particular machine.

I also think that the fact that I'm not technically trained has added to my aesthetic. The audaciousness of trying to make something without the technical know-how––I think this kind of resonates with people.

Your pieces seem very sentimental, but refined, too. They’re also sort of Western. What are you influenced by?

I'm really inspired by the use of color and shape throughout the 70s and 80s. I love the way people designed things in that period––beautiful, sleek, but also aggressive.

I enjoy working with simple silhouettes but adding flavor and vibrancy to them. I’ve always found it really interesting how people can take a particular theme or narrative and then re-interpret it in their own way—like how Italians loved American Western movies, so they developed their own spaghetti Western genre that is totally unique and cool in its own right, but is based off an existing theme.

I often associate leather goods with cowboys and bikers, people who love hearty products that they can thrash for decades. I guess when it comes to bags I'm reinterpreting that, but making them cute! The idea of Florist is that the pieces elevate you, you feel brighter and bubblier, in the same way that giving or receiving flowers makes you feel.

How long does it take to make a bag?

The bags take anywhere between three and six hours to make depending on the style. It's quite a hands-on process when you consider that every piece of the bag has to be cut and then all the edges finished and then embroidered and assembled.

Does that make you feel protective over them?

I don't feel protective at all over my bags. I enjoy making them, but I enjoy even more what they mean to their owners. If I'm working on something custom for a customer I'm constantly questioning whether or not they’ll like what I'm doing, as I'm doing it.

How much of your personal style is reflected into the bags?

I think a lot of my personal style is reflected in the bags and products I make. It's hard for your own style to not bleed into your work when the process is so involved and hands-on.

What flower shops do you frequent?

There are a couple fake flower shops near my studio on Myrtle ave. I often find myself in there looking at all the different imitation flowers, they are really amazing. I also really like lots of the flower shops in Chinatown such as Confucius Florist Inc and Lucky Florist and Goods.

I’m surprised you like fake flower shops!

I think imitation flowers are amazing, as with anything imitation really. I guess that goes back to what I was saying about people interpreting and reinterpreting themes.

It is an amazing feat of expression if you’re trying to replicate something. You’re never going to get it exact, and often you include details that weren’t on the original which adds something more.

I guess I’m thinking in relation to bootleggers, which are super cool. Part of how I ended up making bags is because I couldn’t afford nice bags, and I kind of apply that same approach to my clothing, too.

Can you tell me about the process of buying a bag? I’ve heard you sometimes hand-deliver them.

Initially to buy a bag people would send me a DM on Instagram. I now have a website that people can buy from too. It's a little tricky to get every single bag I make up onto the website as everything needs to be photographed, so often if people don't see the one they want online, they purchase it through Instagram. I always try and meet up to deliver the bag if the customer lives in New York City. It's super fun to meet my customers and I have made lots of friends through that process.

If you stitched any other word or phrase into the side of the bag, what would it be?

I haven't really put all that much thought into that. One of my favorite dishes is Mapo Tofu, I was making it a lot last winter and at one point I almost embroidered it onto a bag for myself... Unfortunately I never did, maybe this winter.

You’re starting to make chains now too! What’s next for FLORIST?

I'm currently working on a knitwear collection. I have always wanted to make clothing, and I love how there are countless techniques you can apply to achieve amazing results with regards to knitwear. I’ll have scarves and sweaters available before the year is out!

Fashion

How Youssouf Fofana and Jordan Brand are showing up for Paris youth

April 15, 2024

Ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Nike transformed the Palais Brongniart into the ultimate showcase of Nike AIR, the groundbreaking tech that’s revolutionized athletic performance since its debut in 1978. ‘Nike on Air’ marked the final countdown to the biggest stage in sports, offering a moment to celebrate the hard work and technology that brought it all to life, and unveiling the footwear and apparel the brand’s athletes will don this summer. Guests were given an exclusive preview of the 2024 national uniforms and kits set to grace the fields of play in Paris, alongside a glimpse of the latest innovation in Air technology: a sculpted unit in the upcoming Pegasus Premium, slated for release in 2025.

Nike Air extends beyond performance enhancement, it has become a symbol of individuality for athletes and beyond. Growing up in The Bronx, where the swoosh was as ubiquitous as the jumpman, sneakers acted a form of self-expression and cultural identity. Juliana Sagat, lead designer of women’s footwear product lifestyle, explains that Nike’s athletes similarly seek gear that not only optimizes their performance but also reflects their personalities and experiences. For them, the process of designing and choosing gear boils down to three key elements: the blend of experience, expression, and emotion. While Air for Nike is all about innovation, Air for Jordan shows up for the culture, uniquely, its in communities. Like the swoosh, the jumpman means something to people, signifying not only athleticism but belonging.

By Sahir Ahmed
Photography by Seth McGinnis

In a similar spirit, Youssouf Fofana, a Parisian native of Senegalese origins and the founder and creative director of Maison Château Rouge and the United Youth International (Union de le Jeunesse), an organization empowering Parisian youth through entrepreneurship, embodies the cultural fusion that Jordan Brand champions. Youssouf's five year long collaboration with Jordan Brand extends beyond fashion; it represents a cultural exchange that transcends borders and generations. As a creative director, Youssouf tells us that he brings his vision of cultural synthesis to life by "looking for the meeting point of our two universes to create something new."

"Synthesis represents the natural assimilation by the sons and daughters of African descent immigrants mixed with the culture and tradition of the country where they settled and grew up; this gives light to a new form of creation, mixing seamlessly heritage and tradition with modernity to design authentically for the diaspora. It is not just about mixing two elements, but it is really a way to create a new natural form of language." Reflecting on founding the UYI, named after his second collaboration with Air Jordan in 2021, Youssouf explains, “What we wanted to do with this collection was to showcase a celebration of youth and the diaspora internationally. For me, as a youth who had a different view of the world and a different idea of how to shape things, I wanted to create a place for others like me to be able to express this, and it was very logical that it took place in the 18th arrondissement in Paris,” a neighborhood that has long been a hub for French-speaking African diaspora as well as some African-American creatives, much like The Bronx.

Recognizing the vast array of African influences that intersect in the 18th, Youssouf creates “a new territory for the next generation to feel at ease in the country that welcomed their parents or those that came before.” And he sees the Olympics, which have always been the ultimate platform for sports, as an opportunity to serve the youth across the city.

Alongside Youssouf, French-American baller, Gabby Williams, a forward in the WNBA’s Seattle Storm and an Olympic Bronze medalist who joined the Jordan brand in 2023, came out to play, debuting the brand’s French Federation kit. Youssouf designed a custom Jordan Brand two-piece suit for Gabby to wear, "inspired by vintage basketball warm-up outfits, synthesized by the silhouette of a suit tailored in the tradition of French know-how." He joined the VisionAir Showcase with UYI members, giving Parisian youth culture a chance to shine on their own terms at the summit. We chatted with them below.

Leni Abdoulaye, 22

Grew up in the 19th arrondissement. Co-founder of streetwear project Outside.

What was the first pair of Jordans you owned?

When I was 12, I put a pair of Jordan 4s in my profile photo on the networks because it was a vibe, I just wanted to, but suddenly all my friends started to roast me because they didn't understand why. [Laughs]

Do you have a favorite Jordan style?

I love the Jordan 3, because I find it really classy, it looks really dressy. You can wear it with everything: jeans, jogging pants, to do anything, out for an evening, it goes everywhere.

Is there an athlete you're rooting for during the games?

Mbappé but hey we’ll see if he’ll be there. I really like his determination. “Don’t talk to me about age” represents his mentality well, there are no excuses.

What does the intersection of sport and culture mean to you?

I feel like sport meets culture outside. Our way of living means that we are always on the move. In France, in the projects we wear tracksuits, because we naturally have a sports mentality.

Marion Gomez, 22
Photographer and Junior Artistic Director

What was the first pair of Jordans you owned?

My first pair of Jordans was a red Jordan 3, although I absolutely wanted a pair of 4s for several years. I thought it was a Jordan 4 model, but after seeing everyone at school and college wearing the Jordan 4 I realized that I had the wrong model, it was ultimately the three but I told myself that it was more authentic and I could have had any Jordan on my foot. The important thing was to have a pair.

Is there an athlete you're rooting for?

No particular athlete, but I have an interest in dance and the fact that break dancing is represented this year at the Olympic Games is very important to me and I want to actively follow this discipline.

How do you think the Olympic Games will impact the city this summer?

The fact that the Olympic Games are taking place in Paris can be an opportunity for the city to be seen from a new perspective. It is an opportunity for the whole world to discover Parisian culture, that is to say a diverse culture, a culture with multiple influences.

Soriba Dambakate, 24
Grew up in the 18th arrondissement. Maison Château Rouge / United Youth International Coordinator

What was the first pair of Jordans you owned?

My first was an Air Jordan 6. My brother worked in a sneaker store in Châtelet and he gave me this pair for the start of 5th grade at college.

Is there an athlete you are rooting for the Olympics this summer?

Victor Wembanyama and Nicolas Batum with the French team!

Do you play basketball?

Yes, I've been playing street basketball since I was 13, playing from time to time with my friends. In high school, there was a basketball court in the playground, and we played during lunch breaks, recess or at the end of classes on a court. During college, I played it with my friends in the square. There is so much access to basketball in Paris also with all the courts like at Square Léon, Stalingrad, Charenton, or Carpentier, etc.

What influence do you think the Olympics this summer can have on Parisian youth?

Today, for me sport is anchored in culture. I think it can encourage more young people to practice sports other than football or basketball, and maybe even participate in the Olympic Games one day. Why not?

Fashion

Dressing the Sixth Annual Pornhub Awards: Briana Andelore on Creating with SEKS

How did you, Will and Abel (the minds behind Seks.llc) meet?

Well, I’ve known about Seks for a really long time just from being in New York and being in the club. They used to be called Seks 5th Avenue a while back. But honestly, I don’t even know how it happened, whether Julia told me or if we just started DMing. I think Julia messaged Abel, then Will and I started DMing and we had a crazy package debacle in LA — because the mail is crazy — so we had a moment and that’s definitely when it all came to life.

What was it like working together to create each of the looks?

It feels like it was meant to happen weirdly enough, because the second that we met there was an instant connection and obsession, I think, for both of us. And this collaboration was almost an evolution of what we've been doing, put to life on all of these girls. So I'm grateful that it did happen because it's just so iconic.

Julia and I have a relationship where we don't have to talk to each other much — we’re kind of telepathic in that way. Abel and I also share this telepathy because sometimes we just read each other's mind and he knows exactly what I want. I don't feel like I've ever found that in a designer. If I show him a couple of pictures or I give him my ideas, it is always executed above and beyond what I ever expected.

Did you create each look with the girl in mind already?

We had the girls in mind, but I also knew that things were going to change because once you meet someone and can feel their energy, you tend to feel differently and are like, Oh this piece works better with you because you have a bubbly energy, or you have a more serious energy, or you have a more fierce energy, or whichever may come into place in the moment. I like to keep things pretty open.

Asa Akira & Queenie Sateen

Was there a narrative arc that brought each of the looks together?

We kind of took inspiration from the venue, [Whisky a Go Go], and individuality within rock and roll culture, this very rebellious, ’I don’t give a fuck’ energy. It’s just whatever it wants to be, not confined to any one thing. Each look was its own personality, looking to recreate the energy of that era in a modern context.

What was it like once you finally saw everyone in their look and the night played out?

The energy was definitely there. It was so electric and it felt like the space was coming alive. Everyone was really partying. Everybody was drinking and enjoying themselves because it was just a night to celebrate, and all of the girls were so amazing and cool and felt good in their outfits. When we were dressing, all of them were like, I love it. You don’t always get that. To make 11 girls feel amazing and happy, feeling their best selves on the carpet and at the party, you know it’s going to be the best night ever.

How hands-on were you in the process?

So, I always work as a team, that’s just how I vibe. Even when Julia and I were doing Franziska Fox, we had our technical designer, and our employees, but we all worked together to build those collections. I feel like working as a team is the best way to do things because that’s when ideas can be thoughtful and full of love. I have my girls now and we all also build all of our looks together. And Abel and I love each other so much, so this is like our love child. We co-created all of it. Abel has all of these technical and amazing ideas, but overall, it showcases things we both appreciate and conceptualized together really.

Natassia Dreams & Ryan Reid

Do you have any memories that come to mind from the months spent working on this project?

There is a story that people don't know about the collection. So Abel actually got really sick earlier this year and had to go into surgery. I got the news of us doing this collaboration a couple days before he went into surgery actually, so we didn't know if we were going to do it. He came out of surgery and it was super hard for him to adjust, as he was in a wheelchair throughout the process of making this collection, but at the same time, it also gave him life and hope. When we were finally finished with the collection, Abel was walking again.

Wow, that gives me goosebumps.

It’s a story that means so much to us and truly a collaboration that is beyond what it came to life as for us internally. Now he’s doing really, really well. He’s basically back to normal now, but this collection — the creativity it gave him — truly healed him. That’s just the power creativity can have.

And community, being surrounded by people that you really connect to and want to work with. Could you see yourself doing similar collaborative projects in the future?

Well, I have a shoe coming out in September so it is something that I’m working on. It’s created, but in sales now. It just takes time to drop. But yeah, I would love to create with Abel again and other emerging designers.

And you also worked with Julia on OMG Fashun which is coming out on E! pretty soon?

Yeah, so I executive produced OMG Fashun, and I styled Julia. The show is so amazing. There are so many talented young designers — and some of it is virtually untapped, similar to Seks when we met and they’ve already come so far. With the show, the world’s going to be able to see all of these incredible designers and they’re going to be able to grow, and that’s my favorite part of it all, meeting all of these talented people and seeing what they do, who they dress next, where the world takes them.

Yeah, totally. And there are so many amazing designers that people have yet to hear about, so that’s exciting.

Yeah, I get to work with a lot of young designers from really everywhere — Paris, Florence, Milan, Amsterdam come to mind — and it’s so great because everywhere, it’s basically caters to their communities. Like here in New York, we have our young designers like Women’s History Month, who have an amazing store where they sells some of their own creations and vintage as well. Then there’s Lucky Jewel, James Valoria, Retail Pharmacy, all of these places that are part of our Downtown community. Retail Pharmacy highlights so many different designers in New York while mixing in pieces from around the world, and similar hubs are popping up all over the place.

Everyone’s also so connected because of social media.

Yeah, the internet is such a great place to tap in. That’s how I talk to a lot of designers. They begin as strangers and then sometimes I get to meet them when I go somewhere in the world, say for Fashion Week. Those moments are just so nice and also just creating this community around the world. I think more people will tap into it, especially with the show coming out, highlighting young designers, sustainability, and buying into that as the cool thing to do. It would be great to develop more with the designers on the show, and others around the world, a place for everybody to go to shop for them.

You should make the new modern day department store, like Retail Pharmacy x100.

Oh my God, that would be my dream. That's like heaven for sure.