Interview: Jean Charles de Castelbajac

Designer Jean Charles de Castelbajac talks exclusively to SpaceTM about the creative process and where his ideas come from.

From JCdC

"For me, creation is part of a precise process:
 

1. The Accident: when two images meet in my head for a second, creating a smash. [This suggests] an idea. After that the idea is [stored] in a special department in my head named "supra-reserve", ready to be used at any moment.

2. The Syncronicity: when I start to design, imperfections or mistakes [suggest] another way to see... then i just follow the road.

3. The Pollination: when I bring one universe unto an other – fashion to music, music to design – something super exciting starts to appear [and] I become a king bee pollinizing new flowers of creativity.

4. The Bauhaus Rules: I used to believe that every good design submits to its function! But today I often transgress that rule.

5. The no-limits of hijacking: every image belongs to me! I invented co-branding in fashion 40 years ago when I signed my jeans "Jesus". Today the world belongs to pirates of [all] kinds." Jc De Castelbajac

Four Facts About Jean Charles de Castelbajac

1. He was born on November 28th 1949 in Casablanca, Morocco.

2. He's the Marquis de Castelbajac, which makes him a French nobleman.

3. One of his most famous fashion creations is a coat of teddy bears worn by Madonna and supermodel Helena Christensen in the film Pret-á-Porter. He's also made liturgical robes for Pope John Paul II.

4. As well as fashion he also designs home furnishings.