Q: Andrea Crews started as a personal project of designer Maroussia Rebecq after her graduation in Fine Arts in 1999.
Why did she feel the desire to start a project like this where recycling and fashion activism were the main characteristics? Why did she choose the name Andrea Crews in spit of her own name ?

A: Every year the excessive consumption of clothing creates millions of tons of discarded garments around the world. Charities receive a small percentage of these as donations, which are then recycled in several ways. The garments in the very best condition are resold or given to those in need. The greater majority are destroyed and converted into rags for industrial use. Maroussia just saw a better means of processing these materials.

As to the name of the collective, we're all hiden behind ANDREA CREWS who is a fictive character, half man/half woman (Andrea)... Crews can sounds like cruz [cross], cruise or crew's: it depends on your accent and it's totally international!
Maroussia's idea was to hide all the members of the collective behind the mask of a fictional character: an anonymous fashion activist who conveys our values. So, anybodody can wear the mask and play action with us... anybody who has a good style and who wanna party with us, of course!

 

Q: How do you choose the designers involved in Andrea Crews? Are they rotative? How do they know about you?

A: It's always a question of feeling & talent... Some people stay for one year, some just come for a special project, it depends on our schedule and their good will!
Most of the time, they've heard about us by friends, myspace or our website.

 

Q: Where do you get all the clothing used to create your collections from?

A: Our material comes from charities, vintage shops & friends (everybody gives us what they don't want anymore and we transform it in wearable art!)

Q: You are based in Paris but have done several projects in other countries like Spain [ Bilbao Solo, Bilbao] or Germany [ Berlin m'excite , Berlin]. Tell us a little about those projects and the experiences you lived and the people involved.

A: In the first "temporary workshop installation" that occurred in Le Palais de Tokyo in 2002, we began in the center of the hall, creating a huge mound of 4 tons of discarded clothing donated by a local charity. This raw material, a colourful mass to be explored and discovered, was a symbol of both the imposing landfill and the abundance of valuable resources to be found in unexpected places. Around this mountain we arranged sewing machines, tables, chairs, mannequins, the tools of production.

For the creative and physical power to put these tools to use, Maroussia curated a volunteer team of local artists, designers, and sewers. Together, over the course of the workshop, we gradually transformed this pile of refuse into a unique collection of wearable art, a reinterpretation of what was, and an exciting representation of what can be.

As the experience was a great success, we decided to go on all over the world! Each time, it's the same concept but a new experience and that's what we like!

Q: Goutte D'Or [Egdo1 and Egdo2] is children, fashion and activism. You decided to work with kids from ethnic group's minorities in France. Was that a predetermined decision or just happened by chance?

A: We are an active experimental collective that puts together social actions, deeply connected to the cause of recycling and collaborating with human rights associations. Indeed, more than simply cultivating an aesthetic statement, Andrea Crews establishes social connections by inviting diverse individuals to share an artistic experience. More than just forms, Andrea Crews develops a creative energy and promotes sustainable development. Motivated by a serious concern for the state of the environment and the lack of social consciousness in the commercial world, we integrate humanitarian associations, schools and committed partners into our process, while pursuing a creative and practical goal, and encouraging activism.

Andrea Crews' dynamic causes cultural and human exchanges. Artists, technicians, and craftspeople work on a joint project that highlights the contribution of each participant; it answers the contemporary need for creative energy and social engagement. Recycling, re-using, conscious consumism and creatively problem-solving are models of civic behaviour we assert.
More than a brand, Andrea Crews is a new concept that proposes a unifying and equitable model of garment production, an alternative to the standard consumer system. We serve as an exuberant demonstration of the potential for positive development and change.

Q: What do you think about the current fashion industry? Is Andrea Crews a response to the actual situation of fashion where it seems that things has a life time of less than 6 months?

A: Andrea Crews is a concept more than a brand, in which fashion meets art. We act in the public sphere and interfere with the fashion market, proposing alternatives with a positive social impact. In opposition to the dominant uniformity, Andrea Crews celebrates and promotes personal creativity, experimentation and independence. We dabble in everything, celebrating the unexpected and doing our best to instigate discovery.

We assert a system of self-production that enables us to generate our own artistic events, multi-medium and popular, and beyond the confines of a particular market. This freedom and the open interactions with new creators of all types invigorate and stimulate fresh concepts and invention.

Q: What inspires you?

A: Andrea Crews assemble fragments of international sub-culture: counting comics, mystic rastafary frescos, fanzines, scribbles, cut-up porn, electro rhythms, punk flyers... and we also love pop art, 80's fashion, street culture, Mexican graffitis, emo teenagers, special mention to Frederic_magasine & Neverendind ...

Q: What was the most interesting collaboration or project you have been involved with and why is so special for you?

A: Let's say that "Nuit Blanche " in october 2005 was really impressive cause we've made 12 catwalks, one every hour from 7pm to 7am, with people from the street!
It was hudge and exausting but so energetic!
I also love the Palais de Tokyo's video clip: we've done it in a super short time with super short money and the result is just so energetic, you can feel that everybody enjoyed to participate, run and danse in the art center!

 

Q: There are two collection that got my attention specially: Queer as Folks and Hat. Would you explain me a little about those two projects?

A: Queer as Folks was made in the archives of the Ethnographical Museum of Warsaw, it's a styling project with history clothes we took in the archives, the point is that we didn't respect the usual rules concerning the way to wear the pieces in the folk point of vue, meaning that a guy was wearing a wedding hat for a virgin from the north mixed with a hunting belt from the mountain, and labor shoes, etc... is was a free reinterpretaion of the pieces in term of styling.
Polish people loved it cause its was really undusting all these all clothes nobody look at, in a very contemporary way!

Hat is just a ready made, very formal, a serie a fake chanel bag worn as hats!

 

Q: What are you working on right now?

Right now, we are participating in many events:

- Orlan's retrospective in Saint Etienne, France: we have produced a special collection with Orlan's old clothing in order to perform it at the opening of her exhibition in a museum of contemporary art.

- The Arnhem Fashion Biennale which is concentrated on the art of fashion through exhibitions, shows, performances, videos, dance and installations. The second edition, themed "happy fashion" is held from 1st-30st of june 2007, in Amsterdam and we present some of our videos.

- Radiomobile, 06/12 & 13, for Art Basel where we showed a car that we have customized for a special race (all the cars are pimped by artists, stylists...)

- Enlarge Your Practice, an exhibition located in "La Friche de la belle de mai", Marseille, France (the opening is planed for the beginning of July). We gonna show some videos and sculptures made with garments.

Except these events, we're especially preparing the opening of our store/workshop/showroom in Paris... It's gonna be a special event that many people are expecting for! And we're also preparing a party in Paris for the next fashion week with Sweat X at the famous club named Le Paris Paris.

Maorussia

Morgane

shoes

Claire

Anji

Faustine

Shirley

Morgane

Morgane & Claire