agnès b. builds bridges between the worlds she cherishes and her fashion. Here is another example. It is a separate line which doesn’t follow the winter or summer collection cycle. It’s a unique and prestigious line which can pride itself on having a store of work by more than sixty artistsT, including extremely well-known ones like Bertrand Loubé, Dennis Hopper, Louise Bourgeois, Alan Vega, Jonone, Harmony Korine, Jonas Mekas and John Giorno.
Genesis
From the very outset, in her first boutique on rue du Jour in Paris, agnès b. made T-shirts that reproduced drawings or slogans. In those days, they were all different silkscreen prints produces in-situ with variations in color and size of the print.
It originated with an idea from Felix Gonzales Torrès, a world famous Cuban artist who died in 1996. He began it all in 1994 by suggesting to agnès that she make a white tee-shirt with a simple slogan on the back saying “nobody owns me”. The tee-shirt was a huge hit and became a much sought-after collector’s piece. Printed in a limited-edition of 100, this T-shirt has now become a collector’s item.
Translation: “It’s an art work and at the same time you live with it, sleep with it, and as it gets worn you become even more attached to it, you lose it and someone else finds it, so it gets around. Even if it is an object that in itself does not have a lot of value, you attach a lot of value to it because it has special significance. It’s a fantastic vehicle for an art work, for ideas and even for a joke but it is also a way of asserting oneself.”
Ever since ...
agnès b. has regularly invited artists – well-known and unknown, French and foreign – to create their on. It has become a real line in its own right over the years. They are always exclusive creations, more often than not produced as limited editions.
A special line of clothing in the of Artists T-shirts has even been created, T with a label indicating the name of the artist who made it characterizing this special line. The T-shirts are all collaborations between the artist and agnès b. who work together to choose the images, design, colors and details. The T-shirts are often printed in a limited-edition and come become “collectors.”
A platform for Creatives from all walks of life
Since the creation of this line, more than 60 artists, including Kenneth Anger, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Frédéric Bruly-Brouabré, Gilbert & George, John Giorno, Douglas Gordon, Dennis Hopper, Jonone, Seydou Keïta, Harmony Korine, David Lynch, Jim Shaw, Hugues Reip... just to name a few.. have accepted agnès’s invitation to design T-shirts. But Agnès also offers this opportunity to young less well-known artists and in so doing provides them with an occasion to show their work.
In addition, agnès b. does not wish to limit the sense of the word “artist”: the T-shirts are not only signed by painters and photographers but also by street artists, poets, associations and musicians.
T-Shirt Store, bridging fashion and Art at La Fab
agnès b. has created a unique T-shirt store as part of her artist series, located within La Fab, a museum that houses her personal art collection. This location is no coincidence, as La Fab features works from many of the artists she has collaborated with on the T-shirt line.
The store reflects her deep connection to the art world, offering a platform for both established and emerging artists to showcase their creativity through wearable art. The store, much like La Fab itself, stands as a testament to her lifelong dedication to celebrating and promoting the arts.
