Church Couture: ICOSAE x Christian Louboutin

February 02, 2018

In a modern secular world, spiritual faith lies in admiration of the beautiful and the daring. Valentin Glamarec doesn’t shy away from either. The season’s collection for his brand ICOSAE is sporty and street, wearable and graphic — the striking printed imagery is derived from the designer’s own carefully executed oil paintings, and lately he has ideas of the divine on his mind, the creation of power, power itself.

The word “BURN” pops out on shoulders like the shouts around Joan of Arc; a floral print from afar is a riot scene up close; models’ mouths are covered with bandanas printed loudly with the brand’s all-caps name: a mantra, a spell, an icon in the making. What if God were one of us? What if, indeed.

During our backstage exclusive, office caught up with Valentin to talk about the Big Questions.

Interview by Anna Zanes
Introduction by John Martin Tilley
Images courtesy of ICOSAE

How can art provide the same positive force in society as spirituality?

I think art (in all its forms) plays a major role in society today because it is in the center of people’s life thanks to technology. Everyone is connected to some form of arts all the time whether it is with the music you have on your phone, the people you’re following on social medias and it’s a positive force because you can choose what you want to be connected to. People used to go to church to find a sense of community, now art is creating this positive force.

Who is this collection for?

This is my most personal collection and maybe the most complete because this time, instead of telling stories, I wanted to have societal point of view. I took a lot of time, watching people in the streets from a young millennial to a business man and wanted to translate this diversity in the collection. So really this collection is from the people for the people.

Do you think that non-believers really exist? Even outside of the classic definition of “religious”?

Everybody believes in something, whether it is religion, luck or values. The point of non-believers in the collection was more when this word is related to classic religion. I think that you can be non-religious but not non-believer.

Do you believe in God?

I have a spiritual part, not necessarily linked to classic religion, but I am not a non-believer!

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