From Madonna and Lady Gaga to Pope John Paul II, fashion’s enfant terrible Jean-Charles de Castelbajac has dressed them all. The avant-gardist’s creations are known for their eye-popping explosions of pop culture references on high-end fashion. Sleek met de Castelbajac in Berlin, where he is exhibiting his secondary line, JCDC, for the first time in the German capital, at Bread & Butter.
Sleek: The collection is called Glam Strickers and is very music inspired. How important is music to you when you design?
JCC: Music has always been my inspiration. In this collection there are seven different periods of music and images from the world of pop culture. The idea is a mash up of impressions. A fusion of cultures.
Also, the name JCDC was given to me by Jay-Z. I never knew I was referred to like that, in French you’d drop the ‘D’ and just shorten it to initials JCC. People started telling me that Jay-Z, who collects my sweaters, is pronouncing my name like that. So I decided that would be the name of my secondary line.
Sleek: The labels on the collection say ‘Original document, do not copy’, what’s that all about? JCC: Those labels are kind of a joke. Everybody copies everyone now. I’ve been innovative for 40 years, I never copied anyone, so it’s like a stamp. But that’s an illusion because our word is like Karaoke.
Sleek: You don’t like cover versions? JCC: Sometimes covers are better than the original, actually. I was listening to the Kraftwerk song Neon Lights the other day, and I love this song, but the cover by Simple Minds is also wonderful.
Sleek: Are you a Kraftwerk fan? Did you go see them at the MoMA? JCC: No, I couldn’t get a ticket, but the best Kraftwerk show I’ve ever seen was when I was invited by Africa Bambaataa to his party in the Bronxs two decades ago, with Malcolm McLarren, and a crowd of 3,000 Bronx kids dancing. It was amazing.
Sleek: What’s the difference between JCDC and your primary line? JCC: the primary line is more sophisticated and of course, pricier, but with the secondary line we wanted to do affordable luxury, based on creativity, and surprisingly, we don’t have much competition in this segment. I have so much fun designing it. The challenge is to do a good collection for a good price. Also, the main line has become less pop over the years, and this line keeps the pop DNA of the brand alive.