Moustapha Ndiaye "Inspired by the past, creating for the future"
Moustapha Ndiaye is a fashion creator from California, who’s inspiration became a reality. He specializes as high end fashion products creator and has a studio called “Renaissance Creative Studio”, also produces high luxury street wear (clothing, hats, jewelry). His main goal is to create the opportunity to collaborate and innovate in the ways that are fun and ethical. Moustapha is distinguished by his open mind and supports young artists throughout the creative process. In this interview we would like to talk about fashion, heritage meaning, what means to be a fashion creator in an over crowded industry.
What was the starting point, that you realized you want to go solo, be independent and create fashion? Where the attention for fashion came into your life?
I have always been into fashion or should I say that I have always been surrounded by fashion even at an early age back in Senegal. My mother was the first person I know who owned over 100 pairs of shoes from Italy and that was in the 80’s in Africa. We used to call her Imelda Marcos, in reference of then first lady of the Philippines who was said to own thousands of shoes and clothes. Through my dad I got to know brand like Ted Lapidus, Thierry Mugler, Cerruti among others. I was conscious of it but I did not always like fashion as a child. Every child in Africa loves the first day of school because you get to wear new clothes, however at time I disliked it very much because my mother used to take me out from group activities with my friends to send me to go pick up her new custom pieces from the tailor in the other side of the city. I hated it then but now those are some of my most fond memories as a child and I am glad she did.
When I decided to go to America to go to school, I followed my fathers footsteps and study Finance. I was an accountant for a long time working for big companies in Los Angeles. I like to believe that I was good at it. During that time, I was a fervent shopper as well. We used to drive hours to go buy the latest trends, sleepless nights looking for deals on the net, the whole fashion addict thing. I had invested in an industrial machine and jewelry equipment. We used to go buy high end designers pieces then tailored it to our liking. Those were the crazy days, the good days, no hype beasts. Living in LA, I never had to wear a suit or a tie, and that gave me the freedom to still be myself and go to work in style. Then came 2016, it started to get harder for me to wake up to go to work, and when I was at work I could not wait long enough to get off and go home and make some jewelry pieces and design some clothes. Sadly, the heart was not in accounting anymore and that is when I realized that it was time to pursue this thing. Funny thing is that to my surprise it did not surprise anybody even my coworkers. Even before I opened my studio everybody was like congratulations what took you so long? Now you can follow your passion and that gave me added peace.
Was it hard to start doing fashion in California, since it’s filled as most of the markets with established creatives? What did you have to do to be unique and interesting to the clients?
It was challenging. Challenging from a different perspective. I have always been confident of my style and creativity but I found out early that it does not matter if you make the best design or have the best style in the world and it is sitting on the rack and that no one can see it. Although there are established creative in California, the fashion industry is based on who you know. It is a visibility market, a right place at a right time type of thing. Plus, I needed to add an element of story telling that is usually found for the high end market. I knew that my designs were unique, and that people around me love it as well as strangers that I encounter daily complementing my style and that was motivation to keep on going. “If you build it, they will come” was the motto so I started making my designs knowing that it would be a long process. Coming from a numbers backgrounds, I knew the stats: that 8 out of 10 small business go out of business within 2 years. Most run out of money. So we decided to do manufacturing for other creatives. We figured that everybody needed a pattern making, a sample maker and a creative house that could help produce a small produce run and we became that person. At first we started it to keep the light on, but then I fell in love in helping designers bring out their projects in life. It is great feeling. I am sure that I am the only designer in California who knows well fabrics, can make pattern, can solder jewelry and make fedoras ( laughs) I get to get up everyday and say that I make my own clothes, jewelry and hats that I am wearing. I would say that is interesting and unique.
Your fashion is combined of symbolism, cultural heritage, tribal aspects. Which of the historical aspects is most important to you and why? How do you connect history and modern vibes into one coherent story in your creations?
Hard question. I would say evenly the cultural heritage and the tribal aspects because I think they go hand and hand.
I am fascinated by tribes and cultures. That is my main travel motivation, to understand the why in people. I believe that the more you understand a person and its culture, the more you get along with that person. You know what offends and do not offend and the whys. From Senegal, to Bali to Thailand or South America, I am drawn by these cultures and I used them as inspiration.
The tribal aspect is more a robin hood ideology. I do not like the facts that for years established brands been using tribal fabrics made by third world countries artisans who put tears, blood and sweats without being given proper credits. I want to change that, I want to tell stories about these tribes. I would love to get tribal fabrics from these places to make collections that is sold then have process go back these villages. Each collection I would pick a new tribe and tell their story. I think that would be dope.
Do you think all fashion has to tell a story or have a meaning? How do you spread your word about deeper meaning and symbolism in your clothing?
I do not think that it is necessary for all fashion to tell a story. If do not think that people care the story behind a $5 t-shirt. Selling a $500 t-shirt, is a different thing. Usually that is the story and heritage that you are selling and it is important. Personally, I believe that it does not matter if it is a $5 or a $300 t-shirt. As a consumer, you should know the symbols that you are wearing. For example, when I used to buy clothes, I used to research everything. From the image in front on the tee to brands that I love. I remember buying an off-white t-shirt that had “darling” in front. I came to find out that it was in reference to Daft Punk. It was their first band. I like to know. So when it was time for me to wear my designer hat, naturally I want to reach the masses, and educate them through fashion. I would take them on a journey from the inspiration of the design to the cloth selection. For example, one of my kimono is made from mud cloth made in Mali. Each client that bought it received a letter telling them how I was inspired by the story of Yasuke who was a slave from West Africa, then became the first black samurai in Japan. Kimono, japan, mud cloth fabric, west Africa, culture, heritage and voila.
A massive consumption is a big problem in fashion industry, how do you avoid it? Does unique style attracts unique personalities who appreciates more of what you do?
My style has always been unique and most of my designs are as well. I source handmade fabrics worldwide. Generally, handmade fabrics are not produced for mass consumption, usually only for local consumption. For Example, I used the Thai silk which is a beautiful hand woven fabric produced for over 5000 years but never really been exported internationally. Handmade fabric tends to be one of a kind pieces since it is hard to perfectly duplicate them and also they are usually produced in small quantity. People who like my brand appreciates the uniqueness of the design and the fact that they are one of a kind pieces. You get to purchase something cool and rare. Best of both worlds.
A very interesting concept in your brand is street wear, which is pretty modern, but at the same time is very sensitive and playful when looking at prints, shapes and forms. What was the idea to create different style for street wear comparing to what standard concept of this niche is?
I think that the concept of streetwear is evolving and we are evolving with it at the same time. To me, streetwear is a neutral word to say urban. Fashion has always been intertwined with music. When rock was the most dominant genre, fashion had the rock influence. Now days, hip hop is the most popular genre of music, therefore we got the streetwear influence in fashion. I remember not a long distant memory when high end houses from Kenzo , Louis Vuitton to Gucci did not sneakers or t-shirts, and you could not go in a club dressed in sneakers or jeans. Now days, we have less rules and thanks to the music genre. Streetwear is becoming high fashion and the hip hop artists are front and center at the international fashion shows. When LV collaborated with Supreme it did not surprise me and bringing Virgil and Rihanna even less. It makes sense to me. Unlike the purists, the decided to evolve. In the 80 when Calvin Klein came in the picture with the “not without my calvins’ Brooke Shields ads, Levis was too arrogant to evolve because they thought “we are Levis, we do not need to change our style” and they paid the price. My brand is evolving as well but still chic.
The construction and the fit is important to me. Also the more I get to travel and get expose to new things the more I create new different styles.
Some styles could parallel to saint Laurent, some could be edgy like Rick Owens and some would make you ask where do this come from?
Can you share a bit about your creative process? What does it take to design a new collection?
I am always creating. Either making hats, clothes or jewelry. Out of the 3, clothes is probably the easier. I could make a design every day. I get the urge to make something new every day, put it on the rack then make something else. My last design is always my favorite. Since I did not go to school for it and that am a self taught, I do not have a structure of do or don’t for the construction. I go with the feeling that I have. I do not do sketches, I do not make muslins. 9 out of 10 the final pieces is never how I intended when I started it. I seat in front of the table with my fabric and see what comes to me. That is one of my favorite part of the process because it takes me on a roller coaster, where I am unsure of the destination. Same goes with the hat process. Some days I do not want to make clothes, so I’ll pull out the hat blocks. Jewelry making is one thing where I am not always creative. I go through creative blocks, and it is more challenging for me because I can’t jump in and out of it as I please. It takes me time to get back into the rhythm if I step away for too long. It also requires more patience.
We’ve already seen, that you’ve had worked with big celebrities and artists, so what is your main goal with the brand? Where would you like to see yourself after 5 – 10 years?
I want my brand to be globally recognizable and available in high end stores all over the world. That would give me the opportunity to tell more stories and to shred lights on these artisans. I am very passionate to bring this passion on tv as well, to travel and do documentary that ends with a fashion show. I want to collaborate with some of my favorite brands and to add my touch similar to what Virgil is doing at LV. To be able to go through years of archives of a storied brand aesthetic and add my touch would be a dream come true. I want more. One of my fav was Karl Lagerfeld, not for his designs but rather his work ethic. He had his hand on many things doing diverse stuffs for decades.
Is fashion a long lasting element to you personally or is it style? Does it have to be necessary in everyday life? Does it comes to you naturally or is it a habit?
It definitely comes to me naturally. Most of the time I match without even trying. I am overdressed even when I am trying to dress down. My style of the day sets the mood. It usually starts with a bottom selection, the top, then the shoes. The hat comes last, than I pick the perfume that I want to complement the look. A girl once told me that she used to wake up in the morning to watch me dress for my accounting job because it felt like a piece of art. I did not know what she meant then, we reconnected years later and she said ” I told you, you were an artist”. I get her now.
Interview by Meg Golb.