ENGLISH
DESIGNER |
ALAIN GOSSUIN
BRUSSELS
SOLVAY (commercial preparation)
U.L.B. / Université Libre de Bruxelles / law department
INSTITUT BISSOFFSHEIM / fashion design
PARIS
ECOLE DE LA CHAMBRE SYNDICALE DE LA COUTURE PARISIENNE / fashion design
HE WAS A SHOWCASE CREATOR, A SELLER AND A PROFESSIONAL BUYER FOR MULTI-BRAND STORES.
LENSED BY LANDMARK PHOTOGRAPHERS LIKE HERB RITTS, MONDINO, PETER LINDBERGH, ELLEN VON UNWERTH, PAOLO ROVERSI, MICHEL COMTE AND MARIO TESTINO, HE MODELED FOR NUMEROUS DESIGNERS SUCH AS DOLCE & GABBANA, JUNYA WATANABE, HELMUT LANG, HERMES, YOHJI YAMAMOTO, DRIES VAN NOTEN ...
FOR 25 YEARS, THE SOCIAL ASPECT OF HIS WORK ALLOWED HIM TO DEVELOP CLOSE FRIENDSHIPS WITH PEERLESS CULTURAL ICONS LIKE KEITH HARING AND MADONNA ... DURING THIS TIME HE ALSO HONED HIS PERSONAL NOTION OF CLOTHING, CEMENTING HIS VERY OWN STYLE IN OCTOBER 2004.
"He was a top model at a time when it still meant something and he appeared in 50 advertising films in a row (...). It is easier to count the number of the creators he didn’t work with than it is those he inspired ..."
Eric DAHAN - WAD Magazine
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HISTORY OF THE BRAND |
JULY ‘04 ALAIN GOSSUIN AND FRANCOIS-REGIS LAPORTE WENT INTO PARTNERSHIP TO CREATE THE GOSSUIN CLOTHING BRAND.
AUGUST ‘04 THE BEGINNING OF COLLABORATION WITH A VISIONARY FRENCH CLOTHES MAKER. CREATION OF A CAPSULE COLLECTION OF EIGHT SHIRTS MODELS INTENTED ONLY FOR THE PROFESSIONAL PRESS.
SEPTEMBER ‘04 IN NEW YORK, THE MEN’S FASHION DIRECTOR OF BERGDORF GOODMAN HEARD ABOUT THE FIRST PROTOTYPES, AS WELL AS OF THE DEVELOPMENT TRAJECTORY OF THIS HIGHLY-INNOVATIVE, UP-MARKET DESIGNER LINE. HE SOON OFFERED TO PICK IT UP FOR THE STORE, MAKING AN IMMEDIATE PURCHASE AND IN A SHOW OF FAITH OF INESTIMABLE VALUE, PROVIDING PREMIER FLOOR PLACEMENT BETWEEN ALEXANDER Mc QUEEN AND GUCCI.
OCTOBER ‘04 THE COLLECTION WAS ALSO PRESENTED TO A SELECT NUMBER OF MULTI-BRAND RETAILERS SUCH AS MARIA LUISA AND L’ESPACE CREATEURS AT THE GALERIES LAFAYETTE, BOTH BECOMING THE FIRST BUYERS.
“THE NEW YORK TIMES” PLAYED A PART IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BRAND BY EMPHASIZING THE TECHNICAL QUALITIES AND THE REFINED ALLURE OF THESE EARLY DESIGNS.
JANUARY ‘05 GOSSUIN WAS NOMINATED BY SEVERAL HIGHLY-SPECIALIZED BUYERS IN THE “DESIGNERS TOP LIST” OF LE JOURNAL DU TEXTILE, AND GAINED A NUMBER OF NEW RETAIL OUTLETS INCLUDING HARVEY NICHOLS IN HONG KONG, HOLT RENFREW IN TORONTO, THREE ON THE BUND IN SHANGHAI… AND LE BON MARCHE IN PARIS.
JULY ‘05 THE GOSSUIN COLLECTION HAS HENCEFORTH OFFERED A COMPLETE CHOICE OF CLOTHING FOR MEN.
WINTHIN 24 MONTHS, GOSSUIN HAS EXPANDED SALE POINTS TO OVER 10 COUNTRIES.
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| PHILOSOPHY |
CONTENT AND FORM HAVE ALWAYS BEEN COMBINED TO ADAPT CLOTHING TO ITS TIME AND BRING ABOUT ITS EVOLUTION.
FASHION IS ALWAYS THE REFLECTION OF AN ERA BUT HAS TO BE CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE TO BE REMEMBERED.
RETURNING TO THE BASIC FUNCTION OF CLOTHING AND ADAPTING IT TO ITS TIME : THE MAN OF THE 21st CENTURY.
CEMEMTING THE DIFFERENCES IN CREATIVE CONCEPTION BETWEEN MEN’S AND WOMEN’S WEAR.
ESTABLISHING A CREATIVITY AWAY FROM THEATRICAL, RETROGRADE THEMES, THE EXCUSE OF YOUTH OR ANDROGYNY, WHILE AVOIDING BANALITY OR SPORTS CLICHES.
ADAPTING FASHION TO THE NECESSITIES OF THE EVERYDAY LIFE OF TODAY’S MAN.
RE-CREATING A CONTEMPORARY PARISIAN STYLE; PROMOTING A NEW, UNIQUE, PERSONAL AND MASCULINE VIEWPOINT; SETTING THE PACE BY ADAPTING TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF MODERN LIFE.
EVOLVING THIS STYLE, CULTIVATING IDEAS, AND PERFECTING THEM WITH EACH SEASON.
SHOWING A MAN TO BEST ADVANTAGE BY DISTINGUISHING HIM WITH ELEGANCE AND RESTRAINT.
CONCEIVING CREATION ACCORDING TO THE “BAUHAUS” MOTTO : FORMS FOLLOWS FUNCTION.
INTRODUCING FUNCTIONAL – NOT DECORATIVE – DETAILS, MAKING CLOTHES EASY TO WEAR REGARDLESS OF THEIR ORIGINALITY.
USING NATURAL, NOBLE, AND RARE MATERIALS, AS IS THE CUSTOM FOR TAILOR-MADE CLOTHES.
TAKING MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES AND DESIGN TO NEW HEIGHTS, AWAY FROM THE SPOTLIGHTS AND BEYOND THE LIMITS OF SHAPE, MATERIAL AND COLOR.
REVIVING OR PERPETUATING AN AUTHENTIC KNOW-HOW, ENRICHING IT WITH NEW TECHNIQUES TO ENABLE THE CREATION OF A NEW CONTEMPORARY LOOK.
IDENTIFYING OUR CREATIONS BY DISTINCTIVE CODES SIGNIFIED BY HIGH-QUALITY MANUFACTURING, SIMULTANEOUSLY IMPROVING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES AND STANDARDS THAT ARE USUALLY OFFERED.
GUARANTEEING TRACEABILITY SO THAT EACH GARMENT’S OWNER CAN BE SURE OF THE QUALITY OF WHAT HE’S BUYING.
REMAINING INDEPENDENT, THUS GUARANTEEING QUALITY, FREE STYLISTIC CHOICES, AS WELL AS BEING ABBLE TO CHOOSE CRAFTSMEN AND INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS.
BEING FUTURE-AWARE, PARTICULARLY OF ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY PRACTICES.
BECOMING A NEW REFERENCE POINT IN CREATIVE, INNOVATIVE, FRENCH LUXURY.
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