DESIGNER Focus

JAYNE GREEN talks to the everso-charming MARC-ANTOINE who is now considered as one of the world’s leading fashion artists. With his glamorous, elegant, out-of-time, sometimes quite cheeky style he displays a great sense of aesthetics and observation, capturing the instant, with an artistic overview.

Tell us about yourself. What makes you tick?

I am a french artist with italian origins. I’ve always known that I wanted to be an artist. Drawing has always been essential to me as well as one needs oxygen to breathe. As a child I was frustrated - I couldn’t find the images I was dreaming of, in the real world. I’ve always had a lot of images inside of me. Making these images real has been the biggest thrill in my life. I am interested in people - their lives, their stories, their weaknesses, their strength. I love to meet people and listen to them, exchange ideas with them.

Can you briefly explain your creative process, mediums, etc?

It’s always a challenge - while I paint, I have to feel love. My subject has to be the most important person in the world to me. I first draw too many lines on the paper with a pencil, and then I delete most of them. I like it when it looks simple. I use ink. Ink is a dangerous medium - it does not allow a second chance. I like that idea. The most important thing to me is to show how it feels to actually meet the person I’ve portrayed. When you meet people you don’t necessarily pay attention to every detail -skin, spots, wrinkles... When the person is gone you remember the style, the perfume, the personality. That’s exactly what I try to render on paper.

Has the French perspective on work influenced you?