Lifestyle | Celebrating 5 Years Renaissance

event, interview, lifestyle, Renaissance, RTA

Jonthegold

#5YearsRenaissance was a night to remember. Renaissance Antwerp invited RTA & Enfants Riches Déprimé to celebrate this big event. During the press moments I sat down with the LA based designers for an interview. Followed by a fashion show featuring their top brands : Yeezy Season 1, Craig Green, Off-white, enfants riches deprimes, rta , balmain, Raquel allegra,

To celebrate 5 years of awesomeness, Renaissance Antwerp invited their most ardent buyers and friends for an Antwerp fashion night out to remember. I can tell you now that the Renaissance team knows how to throw a good fashion party!

In honor of the 5 year anniversary Renaissance worked on a collab collection with 2 brands avail' at Renaissance : R T A and Enfants Riches Déprimés . Eli & David. , founders of RTA, came all the way from Los Angeles to present the capsule collection in front of a crowded and curious #RenaissanceNation. In the minimalistic black and white Renaissance decor the young models showed the clothes from Enfants Riches Déprimés, the YEEZY collection, Craig Green, RTA, and other avant-guarde brands.

Before the fashion show started Renaissance organized a press moment. Jon The Gold was present during those moments to interview the 2 designers from RTA ( Eli Azran & David Rimokh) and Henry Alexander from ERD ( Enfants Riches Déprimés ).

... R T A

Eli Azran: " You can trust somebody that is proud from where they are from."

#5YearsRenaissance was a night to remember. Renaissance Antwerp invited RTA ( Eli Azran and David Rimohk) & Enfants Riches Déprimé ( Henry Alexander ) to celebrate this big event. During the press moments I sat down with the LA based designers for an interview. Followed by a fashion show featuring their top brands : Yeezy Season 1, Craig Green, Off-white, enfants riches deprimes, rta , balmain, Raquel allegra, photography by hoymedia

How is Antwerp so far ?

"We love Antwerp. Especially the people! I think people from Belgium love living here. It's refreshing because the new generation is not proud living where they live and no positivity can come from that. It's nice to come to a place where people are proud of their city. That makes the individual so much cooler and that's an attitude that will change the world. Like when you look at Seattle as a city, it's a place where you have people that changed the world : Kurt Cobain, Bruce Lee, Jimmy Hendrix.

You can trust somebody that is proud from where they are from. "

Favorite city you visited so far ?

Eli: " Being in the fashion industry we travel a lot for research so I must say Tokyo. But I'm a big fan of Milan too. In Milan you have an interesting balance between a louder fashion that is very out there and the more quiet looks. However Berlin and Antwerp are one of those cities you can tell there is something special. "

Tell us what RTA stands for as a brand ?

"RTA is based on the premise of constant evolution. Continuously improving yourself is the message here. Obviously your 1st collection is not as good as your 2nd collection.

You can only do your best and the rest is out of your control. Putting our influence and inspiration in our designs is what makes us happy. "

How did you guys start RTA ?

"Basically it started as a project based on outside influences under another name. We came back to LA presenting our first collection...and it was a DISASTER. Because it was forced and artificial.
We wanted to please way too many people and ended up pleasing no one! The first people who were not pleased were ourselves. Afterwards we got torn into shreds.

After learning from our mistakes we decided to take a look at ourselves and admitted to the investors we f*cked up. Luckily they were in a good mood so they gave us another chance to make it right. This time we wanted to please nobody but ourselves.

Fall '14 was the collection that put RTA on the map. Starting with 10 to 15 retailers , we began selling in more stores. It was a good feeling finally having the validation we deserved. "

How do you pick your retailers ?

" It all started with 1 simple question : Where do we love to shop? The stores we visited while being on the road were astonishing. So our distribution is practically based on the stores we like to shop in. It's funny because it all started as a dream and now that dream has become true. Plus there was a mutual respect with the retailers. We don't look at each account as only a business, it's more a personal relationship. "

Is there one element that comes back in every collection ?

" The element is really a thought process and for us clothing should be easy. We consciously try to make clothing that fit that LA vibe. The reason why LA is making a comeback is because of the essence of LA. I mean If you look at fashion the last 15 years and the people who moved it, its always been based on the LA cool casual look: leather jacket , jeans and a t-shirt. In LA we like comfy with that LA swagger. "

How do you guys manage to combine your business and your personal lives ?

Eli: "At this point we know everything about our business. Balancing personal and business is difficult because your business becomes your life.

David: "If you don't love what you do in your industry, its hard to make the sacrifices. Before we got into the fashion industry we knew what we would partake in."

The second designer I interviewed was Henry Alexander, founder of Enfants Riches Déprimés. While sipping from our glasses of whisky, I interviewed my boy Henry from Enfants Riches Déprimés. He came all the way from LA to present his collection at Renaissance.

... ENFANTS RICHES DéPRIMéS

Henry Alexander: "Something good should be good 10 years from now, it shouldn't have a time capsule."

Jonathan: So Henry, tell us the story of Enfants Riches Déprimés ?

Henry : "I started in 2012". Jon: "Cheers , but in Belgium we look each other in the eyes otherwise you'd be doomed with 7yrs of bad sex haha."

After a proper Belgian cheer we continued the interview...

Henry: " It started with a void that I wanted to fill. The pieces I wanted were not on the market. I did not relate to the hiphop streetwear brands that were coming up in that time. So I felt like there was a void for a luxury punk clothing."

Where do you get your inspiration from ?

"Sometimes my ideas come from vintage movies and me wanting to buy the pieces they wear."

How did you come up with the name Enfants Riches Déprimés ?

"I actually came up with the name Enfants Riches Déprimés over drinks because déprimé is how I felt at that time. Although I grew up in a good family, I always felt angry at the world and angry at the establishment, but happy to be angry. People were asking me why I wanted to say I'm déprimé but for me saying happy sounds too hippy. And I thought by myself why isn't there a luxury nihilistic dark brand. "

But what makes you happy ?

"When I make something I know I put in a 100%. When celebs wear my clothes I have an ego for myself and that is what makes me feel fulfilled. Even when you're a business man or a journalist, it defiantly makes you feel fulfill.

When I started Enfants Riches Déprimés I was like in a very ground floor place. Money was completely out of my head as I only cared about making art, skating, real things that are tangible. I feel like nowadays I'm trying as hard to be depressed but life is too beautiful. "

What is that edge that sets you apart from the other brands ?

"There is something that we are doing that is different and isn't in the context of what all other brands are doing. I chose to take a different approach. I don't think about trend forecasts or other brands are doing. Everything for me is a piece of art. Clothing for instance is not just a marketable piece. I remember people telling me in the beginning that nobody is going to buy my designs. "

Would you choose timeless pieces over trends ?

" Something good should be good 10 years from now, it shouldn't have a time capsule. Real style is cultivated every year, real style ain't got nothing to do with money. I feel like a lot of trendy clothes can't be worn after 2 years. Style should be progressive.

After the interview sessions with the designers the Renaissance fashion show was on... featuring one of their top brands : Yeezy Season 1, Craig Green, and Raquel Allegra.