There is no recipe.
No secret formula.
No Excel spreadsheet capable of predicting emotion.
No marketing strategy built six months in advance to decide which artist will one day join the universe of ARTIST.
Everything begins elsewhere.
In an art salon.
At the turn of a gallery.
In a conversation.
Sometimes in front of a canvas, a photograph, a work that doesn’t necessarily catch the eye at first glance.
It has been more than twenty-five years since Brigitte and François have been exploring contemporary art fairs.
From Art Brussels to FIAC — now Art Paris —, from ST-ART in Strasbourg to Art Montpellier,
they wander the aisles, observe, return, doubt, discover.
But deep down, what they are looking for is not just a work of art.
They seek a meeting.
"We have always loved the idea of venturing into universes that we do not yet fully master.
When everything is too obvious, it interests us less. »
Since the 2000s, from Aventures des Toiles to ARTIST Le Studio BF, more than 200 artists have crossed their path.
Some were already recognized. Others completely unknown. Some have become famous over time. Others have remained more confidential.
It is never really that which guides their choices.
What they seek is a particular vibration. A uniqueness. Something that shifts the gaze.
And above all: never redo what they have already done.
They receive numerous proposals from artists today. Some write: “Your work perfectly matches my universe.”
This is precisely the kind of statement that makes Brigitte and François hesitate.
"We need surprise, movement, sometimes even a slight discomfort. »
Because at ARTIST, curiosity is almost a daily discipline.
Alongside their work on the collections, Brigitte and François visit exhibitions, read extensively,
they watch live performances, scrutinize movie releases, listen to almost all kinds of music, delve into graphic cultures from elsewhere.
Everything feeds their gaze.
Sometimes, the crush is immediate. A striking clarity in front of a canvas.
And sometimes, it is exactly the opposite.
A work resists. Confounds. Forces one to slow down. To make the effort to understand.
"We try to remain open. Without prejudice. Even when a work initially unsettles us.
Often, it is those that make us evolve. »
With the years, their intuition changes. Their tastes too.
They often talk about this evolution as one would talk about wine or gastronomy.
The more one discovers, the more sensitivity nuances or sharpens. One learns to love more complex, more unexpected things.
This does not mean abandoning its foundations.
ARTIST retains its pillars: a certain idea of femininity, color, movement, textile emotion.
But around this solid base, everything can continue to fluctuate.
And it is probably this constant movement that keeps the desire as intact as it is powerful after all these years.
When a future collection begins to take shape, several paths are possible.
Sometimes, Brigitte and François already have a very precise idea: a silhouette, a color palette, a sensation of material, a look. They then set out to find the work capable of embodying this vision.
And then there are the other moments, even rarer, more intense. Those when a canvas emerges almost like a shock, an explosion.
"Sometimes, you see a work and immediately everything happens at once. The clothes, the cuts, the placements, the materials...
We already know that something is going to be born. »
This leads to the most instinctive collections.
Transforming art into clothing is another adventure. One must respect the artist's work while inventing a new language.
A canvas does not become a print simply because it is reproduced on fabric.
It must be reinterpreted. Made to live differently.
To find the right framing. The right rhythm. The right silhouette.
To ensure that a woman does not just wear a pattern... But an emotion.
And perhaps that is ultimately what Brigitte and François have been pursuing all these years:
Create unexpected encounters between art and life.
