VETMA x DAKID

INTERVIEW :

Dakid, can you introduce yourself briefly?

Yo, Maël, 23 years old, tuareg designer based in paris, i started posting online with graphic design making naruto wallpapers on twitter, this brought me to explore on photoshop and illustrator, later i decided to make a brand like everyone in the world right now.

Thank god we don't do it like everyone in the world.

( )AT navigates between streetwear and more high-end fashion. How would you define its DNA and what sets it apart from other emerging brands?

( )AT is a destination, every concept we offer you, is a ticket to a new universe, new characters, new scenography.

You know when i was a kid i wanted to be an inventor.

I want every idea that’s in my head to be brought to life, the clothing line is just the first step bringing these universes to life is what moves us.

What motivated you to create "At"? Was it a long-thought-out project or more of a spontaneous impulse?

First i made a tee during my twitter graphic designer era, it worked, spent all the money on things I didnt needed, then I realized i was dumb for not keeping some to make other pieces because I liked the process, Toxine joined me early on this, we did visual campaigns, it touched, did other pieces, and the more I did the more it moved me, took a deeper dive in the fashion industry, became passionate.

Just going with the flow, no thoughts head empty.

"At" has a very strong visual identity. How do you translate a bold artistic direction into tangible clothing pieces?

I usually start with ideas of wordplays with the name of the brand (like CORPOR( )ATE our next collection) and then I picture what the visuals could be, how I could style the models, and last what is the main piece.

The most difficult thing is to make the piece relevant while translating the whole universe we built around it, so you can understand what it means just by looking at it.

Today, the line between fashion and storytelling is thinner than ever. How do you build the narrative behind each drop or collection?

I have the chance to not be alone on this part, we brainstorm a lot with Toxine and OLUWATOBI, we fight and then the last one standing up gets his idea on the collection.

Just kidding but the brain mix is strong asf, we all have a unique taste.

At what point do you know that a piece or a collection is ready? Is it instinctive, or do you go through phases of doubt?

So much doubt, I’m trying to get faster at the acceptation part, but it takes nothing for me to change my idea, if I see something similar than what I am currently working on for a future collection, then my ego wants me to make my version way better.

Have you ever released a piece that you thought was perfect but didn’t get the success you expected?

Bro yes, every drop is a mystery for me I never know what works.

I thought SPL( )AT, our tracksuit with paint stains, was our ticket out the ghetto, but we didn’t sell as much as we wanted.

I guess i’ll never know, nobody really does right? I wonder if Pharrell gets shocked by some pieces sales.

Do you have a specific memory of a moment when you felt that your work was really starting to make an impact?

Every time someone sends me people wearing my pieces I'm thinking they are living their own lives, while having interactions with it, maybe have a special relation to it, or don’t, it means so much.

Also Outlander Magazine posted us last year in a top 10 upcoming french brands post and i really appreciate their work, motivated me to do more.

You put a lot of effort into creating a universe around the brand. Have you ever thought about expanding "At" into other formats, like a magazine, an exhibition, or even a digital project?

Yes and I want us to do way more, furniture, food, pop ups, figurines, parties...

It's almost a creative collective but with money.

Many young designers are launching their own brands today. In your opinion, what differentiates a brand that lasts from one that fades quickly?

Resilience and consistency.

You have to face failure even when you worked for months for something, you also have to still show up every day to fight for your project, it may take years to work, It's all in the head.

Have you ever turned down an opportunity that could have helped you grow because it didn’t align with "At"’s values?

No never, but I would for sure, any israel supporter, any child labor factory, whatever is on Satan side we do not engage.

What is something people still don’t fully understand about "At" that you wish they grasped better?

The main thing people may not get is the concept-by-collection thing because we didn’t do as many as we want, also the storytelling is usually very good, we create characters and intricate developments and I guess if you dont follow the campaingns very closely you will never know.

If you could have a one-hour conversation with a designer, artist, or entrepreneur who inspires you, who would it be and why?

I really want to have a chat with the MSCHF creators, they are also doing concepts they inspired my proposition with ( )AT and the main thing I want to know is if they are profitable, as we struggle to keep our heads out the water financially, since we invest so much in our campaigns.

SOCIAL MEDIA :

MORE STORIES :