Teki Latex x Phenomenon 2010 Spring/Summer Collection

European Hip-Hop artist Julien Pradeyrol (also known as Teki Latex) teams up with Phenomenon on the following 2010 spring/summer collection. With a respect and similar musical background to Phenomenon’s Big-O, the two linked up with a design language that combined “European classiscism mixed with Japanese futurism, and to give a creative modern twist to classic preppy pieces.” The collection will be available at select swagger and Phenomenon retailers across Japan on January 1st, 2010 and online at choiceisyours.jp on the 5th. A short interview with background information can be seen below.

Could you please introduce your self to Japanese?
My name is Julien Pradeyrol, also known as Teki Latex and Tekitek. I come from Paris, France. Some might know me through my work as a part of french hip hop group TTC, my solo pop album “Party de Plaisir”, my rap freestyles under the name Tekitek, my more house-music-oriented DJ sets or my role as founder and curator of such forward-thinking dance record labels as Institubes or more recently Sound Pellegrino.

What is PHENOMENON for you?
In music i was always obsessed by mixing opposite things together: old and new, mainstream and underground, classic and avant-garde. When i found out about Phenomenon, the first thing that stroke me was that similar will to create new things by applying new shapes and/or patterns to classic pieces. They come from a street/hiphop background like i do, but they enrich that background with higher class fashion influences and references to everything they can sample, from nature to modern pop culture. I have gigantic respect for Big O’s work and it is a great honor to collaborate with Phenomenon, for me they are true visionaries inventing the fashion of tomorrow.

Could you please explain the image of this collaboration line?
I wanted to express a sense of European classiscism mixed with Japanese futurism, and to give a creative modern twist to classic preppy pieces. I worked on the designs with Big O, and the general Idea is to have pieces that can be combined with each other and designs that can be superposed on top of each other. For example when you wear the cardigan on top of the tee shirt, the pac man is hidden but the triangular shape still appears, with the colors of the tee matching those of the cardigan. On the cardigan, the polar bear, inspired by my favorite TV show “Lost”, is wearing classic accessories as a nod to french elegance (a cane, a bowtie and a top hat). The pac man is a symbol of my generation, classic yet modern.