We caught up with Etienne Diop, who divulged his hopes for the future of the fashion industry. He shared his thoughts on the harmonious blend of African and European influences on his latest collection, and discussed the promising possibilities of working with upcycling and involving his family in future projects.
Sep 12, 2024
Sarah Discours
When I was 18, I went to a university for art and design, but quickly realized that it was too theoretical for me. I went on to do an internship with a tailor in Paris, where I fell in love with clothing…
Etienne Diop: I then started a two-year technical degree in Marseille specializing in pattern making and cast to really learn the technique before starting to create. After that, I went to L’Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale before it merged with L’Institut Français de la Mode. I did a formation year that teaches you the entire three-year bachelor’s program in just one, which was intense. Then, I went on to apply for the master’s at IFM.
Sarah Discours: Since then, you work between Paris and Marseille? Etienne: Exactly. In Paris, I have my work. There is a lot of choice for textiles and other materials there, and I also have my atelier. In Marseille, it’s my family’s atelier. My aunt is a weaver and my uncle a painter. I often go there to work with them or to simply discuss with this other generation—it gives me a lot. In general, Marseille is the city where I get my inspiration and where I recharge my batteries. Can you tell us the story behind your brand Tareet?
When doing the technical two-year studies, we had to realize a project in economics where we had to create a company. At this time, I already had the idea to create my brand. So, I was looking for Senegalese words and in Wolof—one of Senegal’s national languages — Tareet is the name for the sound the textile makes when you rip it off. But that also means Ça déchire, which translates to “it rocks” or “it’s cool.” When I found this word, I directly understood the match with my aesthetic.
What inspires you for each collection?
My family, my friends, walking in Marseille, and urban architecture. For example, in Créteil, Paris, there’s a banlieue called Les Choux (The Cabbages) that architect Gérard Grandval designed. The balconies are shaped like cabbage, so the entire ghetto resembles a big cabbage. My African culture also inspires me a lot. In my work, I like to mix my African and European cultures. My last collection is a hybrid between an African wardrobe and a European one. I try to make them coexist together. The idea is to make this collection bigger and to have a showroom in Paris in September 2023.
“I would have loved to see more communication about this world when I was younger and started school. There wasn’t really anything about it. And because of this lack, there is always some cliché that fashion is for women in the working-class culture.”
You said that your uncle is a painter, and your aunt is a weaver; can you tell us a bit more about how this connects with your brand?
My aunt made the very big weavings that you can see in my collection, and my uncle is inspired by a Senegalese painting technique called batik—a technique where you crease textile with paint to get new volume from the painting.
It seems like you grew up in a creative family.
My close family are rather civil servants or in commerce, but thanks to my aunt and uncle, I was able to go this route, as they reassured my parents a little. They inspire me a lot, and today we have a family collaboration. My aunt is super proud and is moved by seeing what could be done with her weaving, so I’m even more happy that she approves.
How exactly does your process look like?
I actually don’t draw much; instead, I do everything live with real material. I collect a lot of clothes in thrift stores; I put them on friends, cut and retouch them to get a new shape. When it’s not enough to get to where I want, I also use Photoshop to do collages. Then I go straight to the draping by doing the model. I work directly in 2D or 3D as I find it easier to get what I want in volume directly.
So, you are rather in the act now than thinking first as in you need it to be tangible to get the ideas coming.
Yes, but I also do a lot of visual research beforehand, which will serve the mood of the collection.
“But in the end, it’s all passion and fun. In the morning I’m happy to get up and do what I do.”
What’s the message you want to share in your work?
My ultimate goal is to create schools in Marseille and Dakar. A school for design and fashion that would be public and accessible to all, even the most underprivileged. I would have loved to see more communication about this world when I was younger and started school. There wasn’t really anything about it. And because of this lack, there is always some cliché that fashion is for women in the working-class culture. So, I want to change these ideas. I want to show this class, and every class in general, that you can do it if you want to, no matter where you come from. I mostly want to do more projects in Africa. Some friends have a studio in Ivory Coast, where they do workshops to try to change things at their scale. So that big project I dream of, this school, would make fashion more accessible to all.
Love it, big vision! And you are working mainly with upcycling?
Yes, I do a lot with upcycling — like with the football jerseys. For more fabrics, I often go to some big warehouses in Bobigny or Pantin that throw away fabrics or make them very cheap. I prefer to use fabrics that are leftover rather than new materials. Because of that, it’s complicated to produce many pieces as the source of the fabrics is constantly changing. But so far, that’s my approach: upcycling, weaving, or working with artists and reshaping them to make clothes.
Following your example, how do you think the fashion industry can adopt a more sustainable mode of production?
To be honest, I think it’s pretty complicated on a bigger scale. Big companies like LVMH are doing their thing and they don’t have much interest in doing that. It is more up to us young designers to have a new, different creative process. To think differently from what and how it was done until now. I’m more into making small quantities and producing in a slow fashion, even if the pieces, in the end, must be more expensive.
Today, some big brands collaborate with small designers who work on small production. It seems like a good first step to be more sustainable for bigger brands. Collaborating with small designers on sustainable products to hopefully encourage people to consume more responsibly.
Yes, and to give space to young designers. There are not enough bigger brands going this direction yet, but hopefully in the future, it becomes more common.
Have you ever had an eureka moment—something valuable that helped you improve your process?
I’m always in my working flow, but I force myself to relax and to take breaks. I would do other activities like cooking which, in the end, will also put me in a reflective mode and make me think of things to change in what I’ve done so far. When I am too focused on my work, I also like to talk with my friends afterward. They can give me honest criticism and make the project move forward.
Would you consider yourself a workaholic?
I work a lot, even more now with my job at Givenchy. But in the end, it’s all passion and fun. In the morning, I’m happy to get up and do what I do. The whole year is a bit like a vacation for me thanks to this, even when there is stress. I always do what I like so I don’t really think of it as work in the sense that it’s imposed on me. It’s been just two weeks with Givenchy, and I’ve learned a lot. I’m doing lots of techniques and patterns so I’m getting better, it’s really great.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve seen since you’ve been at Givenchy?
I would say it’s the vibe. I did an internship in London before, which was not the best experience for me. And in general, friends in the field have told me about their experiences, so even though Givenchy is a big house, the vibe is really great there. Everyone laughs together. They give me actual tasks to do. I’m being really independent there.
It’s most important to feel great where you work.
Exactly, you can produce better.
What motivates you besides a good team?
When I create a piece and I’m proud of it, that’s the best feeling ever. To tell myself I did it. I am also motivated when I can express something in my work, like the colonial past in today’s world, police brutality, and how I situate myself in all this. In France, I’m Black, when I go to the bled, I’m white. Of course, this is not the first thing you see when you look at clothes, but in the long term, it really has a meaning, and that’s what’s essential for me. I’m also not an educator; rather, I want to reach and hopefully inspire people that feel the same.
Talking about motivation in a lighter way, what’s your phone’s background? A lot of times, it’s something motivating or that we really love.
For me, it’s a piece of my brand!
And what’s your favorite unrealized project?
One project that we wanted to do with friends that unfortunately didn’t end up being done was a seminar this last summer. Some were rapping, some were playing instruments, another was singing, and I was doing my clothes and drawings. We were supposed to do it in La Friche la Belle de Mai in Marseille, but in the end, it couldn’t happen. This is a project I really cherish. We will do it one day, with better organization, so I’m really looking forward to it.
I’m a bit older than you, but I think we all go through these same thoughts as creative people. Sometimes we just take on too much to the point we can’t handle it anymore. How do you manage the days when it’s too much?
In my personal life, I’m really not organized, I do everything freestyle. But in my work, I force myself to be organized. I have a lot of notebooks where I write my thoughts and ideas. If I have too much work to do and I go on without thinking, it will end up being bad. In this case, I stop everything and take a day or an afternoon to do nothing. I’m just lying down and chilling, doing nothing. We all are humans. We need to take a break from work sometimes. Now with Givenchy, I have to organize myself even more, but so far, it’s going well.
It’s great to even allow yourself to do absolutely nothing. It’s really hard for a lot of people. Do you also have any habits that would help you?
In the morning, I take a quick shower and an orange or lemon juice. I also have my morning playlist to be in a good mood. Music is the thing that helps me the most. I mainly work with music, and it varies depending on what I’m doing. For example, in the morning, I would listen to Jul and Serge Gainsbourg, and during the day, when I’m already in the flow of working, I listen to American rap or trap like Surf Gang.
Love it! Thank you for taking the time to talk with us.
Photography: Pauline Scotto di Cesare
Casting Director: Sebastien Hernandez Bertrand
First Light Assistant: Francesc Planes
Second Light Assistant: Ruud Katanga
Model: Theo (The Claw Agency)
Originally Published in
LEARN MORE