FACES OF SUMMER François Nars’s days photographing in Côte d’Azur were brought to life under Konstantin Kakanias’s illustrative pen. Li Ying Lim gets the exclusive.
Count on the eponymous brand mogul François Nars to continue to shock and surprise. Following the collaboration with Steven Klein for 2015’s holiday collection, Nars has fused creative brains with illustrator Konstantin Kakanias this time for its summer collection. The result of the collaboration is a panoply of summer-infused illustrations to go with suggestively named make-up—Topless, Get Dirty, Sexual Content, and Deep End. After all, he designed Diane von Furstenberg’s Wonder Woman comic book, as well as textiles for Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Lacroix. This is also the man who has had his creations exhibited in museums, as well as New York’s Basel Art Fair and prestigious Armory Show. The possibilities for his art are limitless, but fashion will always be the beating heart of his work. Walk us throught this collaboration process with Nars. I’ve admired the work and style of François Nars for some time, so when Nars approached me, I immediately accepted. The brand is so exciting—direct, contemporary, bold, sexy, and audacious, yet so approachable. Those little black boxes are magnets of beauty! Was it all Nars’s colours in your illustrations? Essentially. François loves the Côte d’Azur and wanted to play with the idea of a fashionable beach moment, lived out through colour and little escapes. So, I tried to imagine the whole situation, especially the colours, and capture special moments within it. What was the most challenging bit about working on this collection? I had to look at my vision through another lens, which is ve very challenging, but also very educational for me. Every time I collaborate with a bran brand, I find another layer of myself that I didn’t know existed. TellTe us about your current obsession, or something you arear exploring at the moment. I Ih have had a very close relationship with Mrs. Tependris, my fictional heroineh [for The New York Times Magazine]. I have created books, films,fi exhibitions, ceramics, and thousand of drawings based on her lifel adventures. What kind of woman did you have in mind when creating these illustrations for the collection? She is fun, chic, and daring. Do you have a usual spot where you would work on your art? Definitely indoors! Available at Nars stores nationwide.