Adrien Sauvage
Adrien Victor Sauvage (Born 30 May 1983) is an English fashion designer, director and photographer of Ghanaian desent. His short film, ‘This is not a Suit’ released in 2011, garnered international recognition and was nominated for the official selection into the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.
Biography
Early
Adrien Sauvage was born in Wandsworth, London. From the age of 13 he played professional basketball, representing Great Britain at an International level. After taking an early retirement from basketball, Sauvage began working as a stylist and personal shopper under the name of Untiled Muse with female clients of a socially highstanding position. Whilst working with these clients, Sauvage began to style the husbands of his clients, and quickly moved from styling to designing when he saw that their sartorial needs could not be met. With no formal training, Sauvage created looks which were inkeeping of his mantra ‘DE’ – Dress Easy.
A. Sauvage (2010 – Present)
In January 2010, Sauvage announced the creation of the A. Sauvage brand. Sauvage was later joined in this venture by his former client and muse George Lamb. The collection was received instantly by world renowned department store Harrods, and London boutique Matches. To run alongside the launch of the collection, entitled (Collection 000-1.000-11) This Is Not A Suit, Sauvage shot a case study on individualism, photographing ‘Captains and Natives’ of industry, subjects who would not normally be seen in suits. The campaign received positive media attention from the likes of GQ, Esquire, Vogue, Style.com, Financial Times and the Evening Standard. To act as a lookbook for his collection, sauvage began curating photography of famous and successful ambassaders in his suits, who Sauvage regarded as ‘Captain’s of Industry’, including Bill Nighy, Alex Turner and Miles Kane, Spike Jonze and Coco Sumner. ‘
Choosing his Captains
The top menswear model might be David Gandy. But if you ask the man on the street, he'll say, "I don't know who he is." So I set out to highlight "captains of industry", people who I'm into who are about the cloth. I had a chat with them and ask them nicely. It's like the consultation: they say to me that they wake up and go for a coffee and I'll suggest the perfect jacket and trouser to do that’ 1.
In that same year, Sauvage produced, directed and starred in his debut short film ‘This Is Not A Suit’ (2010), which went on to be one of 85 out of 6,467 selected shorts at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. ‘Alongside the collections, Sauvage has also made a film depicting the ethos behind his line. This is Not a Suit has been receiving strong attention and has shown at a number of film festivals including Sundance. The success of that film has also led the polymath designer to be asked to create a new short, Le Costumier, which he is currently working on.’(Dazed & Confused Magazine) 2
'This is not a suit' (2010)
Narrated By Larry Lamb Featuring Adrien Sauvage
(Directors: Adrien Sauvage, Chris Gaunt, and Jon Clements; Screenwriters: Adrien Sauvage and Madeleine Morlet). An instructional guide to the art of dressing that explores the creative quandaries of the mind. Who is the designer? Well, we will look into that. Here we learn the principles of easy dressing as you have not seen them before. This is not a suit.
Inspired By : Gus Van Sant "Discipline Of De' Jogen Leth "The Perfect Human"
Photography
Sauvage's journey into the field of photography begun on Venice Beach, California, with the ‘This Is Not A Suit’ series, described by 'Dazed and Confused Magazine' as a project ‘which challenges our notions of what it means to wear the standard uniform of men everwhere by shooting in black in white some of LA's more colourful inhabitants who, it's safe to say, wouldn't normally be suited and booted. It's the art of formal dressing as you've never seen it before.’ 3
References
External links
(www.Asauvage.com)