spirited away

Collaborations with the art world have become a trusted way of injecting novelty into fashion.

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The most considered of these also bring meaning to fashion with their focus on craftsmanship. Recently, Louis Vuitton launched LV Art Silk Squares, inviting five contemporary artists to interpret the four-petal flower motif that's part of its iconic monogram. Their creations were then meticulously and faithfully transferred onto silk scarves by artisans in Como, Italy famed for its expertise in silks - so much so that they can double as artworks when framed. Keng Yang Shuen gets an exclusive interview with the whimsical design and studio Icinori collaborators publishing comprising Mayumi Otero and Raphael Urwiller, and one of the five guest on its method, madness and magic.

FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH YOU, TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND.

“We met at art school and quickly formed a duo to produce experimental drawings, stories and books. The combination of our very diverse origins (both are French, though Otero’s father is Spanish and her mother, Japanese) means our work is rooted in dialogue, encounters or clashes between several very different worlds. We threw ourselves into our work – there are so many things to do, techniques to learn, and opportunities for experimentation and expression. We did painting, engraving, printing, screen‑printing, lithographs. We drew by night and printed by day, voracious and hoping to one day be able to calmly express everything that was bubbling up in our common world. We’ve experimented with galleries, the press, art publishers, works for adults and young people – any project with the potential to create new interactions, dialogues, options and resources. It has been more than 15 years since we started and we’re still searching.”

WHAT ARE SOME RECURRING ELEMENTS IN YOUR WORK AND WHAT DO YOU SEEK TO EXPRESS THROUGH IT?