First, Xavi García sets up Salon44, a hair salon located at 44 Valverde Street, in Madrid. Then, together with Franx de Cristal, he creates the boutique 44Store. And finally, 44, his own fashion brand, the expression of the aesthetic universe of both of them.
44: (Xavi) “In numerology, the number 44 is one of the strongest numbers, and if you add up the numbers, their sum is 8, which is my number and infinity. I’ve always liked the idea of a name made up of a number. When we decided to open 44Store, we wanted it to be the continuity of Salon44, as if we were creating our own aesthetic world. When we created the brand, we really liked how it worked with the graphics and we decided that we could play with the number 44.”
Brand: (Franx) “When we decided to open the store, we toyed with the idea of creating our own brand. In February of 2015 we made our debut with a capsule collection of 8 pieces called Nuit. At no time did we consider to take our pieces to a show or make a very large collection, but we were encouraged and so we went on to show at the Ego Samsung runway, where it was selected.”
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Above: SS 2016 Collection – Model: Laura Ponte – Photo: Javier López
Make Up: Vincent Guijarro – Hair: Salon44 – Shoes: Petrucha x 44
Studio: Estudio DayLight – Photographer Assistant: Pablo Mingo
http://www.44store.es
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Above: FW 16-17 Collection
Photos: Estrop / Francesc Tent
http://www.44store.es
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Xavi: “I was the one who opened Salon44. At the time I wasn’t with Franx, although we already knew each other. I have always been attracted to fashion, and to some extent, I’ve always been linked to it. Once the hairdressing salon was positioned, I saw that I needed another project, something new that wasn’t completely linked to hairdressing. And it just so happened that Franx appeared and we decided to undertake this project together.”
Franx: “I started out as a hairdresser, until I decided to go to London and develop my creative side doing performances in clubs, which is where I started to create my own styling. When I started with the performances in clubs in Madrid and then in London, I needed to separate the 2 characters, and that’s why I created the name Franx de Cristal, with the X at the end of the name and Cristal to give it a more disco touch.”
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Above: FW 16-17 Collection
Photos: Estrop / Francesc Tent
http://www.44store.es
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Paris: “’Ausencia’ (Absence), the 2016 Spring Summer Collection is a silent tribute to Paris. We use waterproof techno-satin, a material that evokes the cold and humid climate of the city and the umbrellas that flood its streets in winter. The geometric shapes, as well as the faces designed by Jaime Mesa, and the embroidery, are all a nod to the Louvre and the glass pyramid at its entrance. The colors also make a reference to its gray skies and regal architecture: Prussian blue, gray taupe and acrylic black. All the clothes are unisex and oversized, an overexposure of volumes and fabric. In the complements, Comme des Machines have participated with their biodegradable pieces with 3D prints and Petrucha shoes.”
44Store: “In the shop you will find: 44, Juun-j (the first point of sale in Spain), KTZ, DRKSHDW by Rick Owens, Jaime Mesa, Joe Chia, Petrucha, Khourianbeer and Davidelfin.”
New Religion 44: “It’s the title of our fall winter 16-17 collection. With respect to the previous, it’s much more polished and more visual. It has a much stronger image. Our aesthetic world is becoming more defined.”
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Above: FW 16-17 Collection
Photos: Estrop / Francesc Tent
http://www.44store.es
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This interview was published on April issue of Neo2 Magazine, you can read more articles like this in Free Issues
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