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Enfants Riches Déprimés

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Enfants Riches Déprimés
IndustryFashion
Founded2012 (2012)
FounderHenri Alexander Levy
Headquarters
Los Angeles
,
United States
Key people
Henri Alexander Levy
(creative director)
Websiteenfantsrichesdeprimes.com

Enfants Riches Déprimés (French pronunciation: [ɑ̃fɑ̃ ʁiʃ dɛpʁimɛ]; lit. 'Depressed Rich Kids'), also known as ERD, is a Los Angeles and Paris based luxury fashion brand founded in 2012 by the conceptual artist Henri Alexander Levy (aka Henri Alexander).

In 2024 Henri Alexander Levy opened a rare art book and vinyl shop/bar in the Marais district of Paris called the ANTI PUBLIC LIBRARY that focuses on noise music, post-punk, industrial music, shoegaze and no wave.[1]

History

[edit]

ERD was founded in late 2012 by Henri Alexander as an Avant-garde fashion collective, in an effort to create a French punk streetwear line based on the movements of the late 1970s and Japanese Avant-garde movements of the 1980s.[2]

One of the core precepts of the brand is very high price points, with T-shirts ranging on average from $700 to $1,300, and haute couture jackets and pieces priced as high as $95,000.[3] ERD consistently utilizes the business model of artificial scarcity.[4] In this regard, all styles are sold on an extremely exclusive basis, and thus in small quantities, often making just five pieces of any one item.[5] "The price point is not only a marker of value, but intrinsically part of the piece itself," Alexander remarked in a 2015 interview with The Guardian. He further noted that, "No pieces are alike and everything is limited. I have no interest in making affordable pieces for the masses."[6]

Consistent with this perspective, the artist further noted in a 2016 interview with Complex Magazine that, "The best way for me to explain the brand is elitist, nihilist couture (…) The price point eliminates the masses, and the ideas eliminate the people who I don't want, generally, in it, due to the dark nature."[4][7]

The originality of ERD's designs has also resulted in other high fashion brands appropriating similar designs and styles, most notably Gucci, Balmain and Vetements. ERD has made a point to be extremely particular with respect to accepting new stockists.[5] Enfants reportedly informed stores in 2017 that if there is any evidence of carrying brands that copy ERD or feature "mid-level contemporary bullshit," the brand will categorically prohibit those stores from carrying the brand.

Enfants Riches Déprimés began with just a small handful of stockists in 2012. From 2013 to 2014, the label quietly garnered a following amongst celebrities, including Jared Leto, Kanye West, Pusha T, Beyoncé, G Dragon, Sky Ferreira, Courtney Love, Frances Bean Cobain, and Guns N' Roses.[8][9][7][10][11][12][13][14]

From 2015 to 2017, Enfants Riches Déprimés has experienced a business growth, notably with its garments being stocked by Patron of the New, Maxfield, Selfridges, 10 Corso Como, Luisa Via Roma, and Trois Pommes. The brand has also earned considerable artistic acclaim in the fashion world with Alexander's trailblazing and particularly confrontational and provocative designs. These garments have catapulted the brand to an unprecedented level.

Enfants Riches Déprimés unveiled its SS18 pre-collection at Christie's Paris in June 2017, the first time in which a fashion house has shown at the historic auction house, founded in 1766.[15] For its SS23 collection held at Lycée Henri IV in Paris in October 2022, Enfants Riches Déprimés unveiled politically and morally motivated garments that would continue to propel its counterculture brand imagery and ethos, such as references to the founder of the People's Republic of China, Mao Zedong and American serial killer, Aileen Wuornos.[16]

In 2019, Enfants Riches Déprimés opened its first and only boutique, located at 79 Rue Charlot in Paris.[17]

Influences

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Enfants Riches Déprimés has taken inspiration from a variety of historical sources. In an interview with V Magazine, Henri Alexander Levy commented that "As far as other painters I am really into Robert Motherwell. I'm envious of the scale of his work. Also, [the work of] painters Cy Twombly, Antoni Tàpies and Jean Dubuffet (…) I find them particularly appealing at this point in my life. I think those that are familiar with Tàpies' work, will see he has influenced ERD from the informality to the way he uses furniture and rags."[18] Henri Alexander Levy has also been noted as being influenced by conceptual artists Rodney McMillian, Barbara Kruger, and Andrea Fraser;[19] Japanese fashion designers Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto; the drawings of Raymond Pettibon, and punk rockers Darby Crash and Johnny Thunders.[20]

Collaborations

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In 2012, the brand did a limited T-shirt release with Young & Starving, a New York nonprofit organization that works to support budding artists and curators.[21] In 2015, the brand collaborated with Vans to create a custom classic high-top sneaker, featuring hand-drawings and "rebellious scribbling".[22] For their Fall Winter 2016 collection, ERD collaborated with the estate of Cy Twombly to create a capsule collection featuring interpretations of the late artist's polaroid film works.

ERD has also had a continuing relationship with the contemporary artist and architect Didier Fiúza Faustino. His sculpture was notably featured as the centerpiece of their Paris runway show in September 2016, which premiered the brand's Spring Summer 2017 main collection.[23]

In early 2017, Enfants Riches Déprimés collaborated with Daft Punk for their store at Maxfield Gallery in Los Angeles.[24]

In July 2017, Enfants Riches Déprimés launched a pop-up store at Maxfield Gallery, transforming the sprawling space into a pawn shop.[25] The shop featured a capsule collection of archival pieces, as well as a number of new limited edition styles.[26][27]

In June 2019, Enfants Riches Déprimés collaborated in the artistic design of Future's EP Save Me with the cover being one of his paintings and all the music videos made for the EP directed by him.

References

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  1. ^ [1] ANTI PUBLIC LIBRARY at Hypebeast
  2. ^ [2]Enfants Riches Deprimes at Clothbase
  3. ^ THOMAS ADAMSON (25 June 2017). "Lanvin fuses sartorial and street to cap Paris menswear week". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2017-08-22. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
  4. ^ a b "The Elitist, Punk Fashion of Enfants Riches Déprimés Is Probably Not For You". Complex. Archived from the original on 2017-08-21. Retrieved 2017-08-20.
  5. ^ a b "Enfants Riches Deprimes Founder on His "Disgusting" Pop-Up Storefront". The Hollywood Reporter. 17 July 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-08-22. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
  6. ^ Elan, Priya (26 July 2016). "Cashmere nooses and 'nihilistic luxury': Enfant Riches Déprimés' punk couture". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 August 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  7. ^ a b Elan, Priya (26 July 2016). "Cashmere nooses and 'nihilistic luxury': Enfant Riches Déprimés' punk couture". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 August 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  8. ^ "The Fashion Label that Miley Cyrus, Jared Leto, and Courtney Love Are All 'Gramming". 19 December 2014. Archived from the original on 2017-08-22. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
  9. ^ "Kanye West and Common Shut Down Off-Duty Dressing in the Statement Trouser". 21 March 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-08-22. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
  10. ^ "Pusha T Displays The Details On His Enfants Riches Déprimés Jacket". 18 June 2016. Archived from the original on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  11. ^ "Zayn Malik Covers Paper Magazine Wearing An Enfants Riches Déprimés Leather Jacket". 20 June 2016. Archived from the original on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  12. ^ "Frances Bean Cobain and Courtney Love Share Rock Star Style in Paris". October 2016. Archived from the original on 2017-08-22. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
  13. ^ "Kanye West Was Caught Sleeping in a $545 Plaid Shirt". Complex. Archived from the original on 2017-08-22. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
  14. ^ Alexis, FashionNetwork.com, Chenu. "Enfants Riches Déprimés: the elitist punk label attracting retailers worldwide". Archived from the original on 2017-08-23. Retrieved 2017-08-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ "About Us: This History of Christie's - Christie's". www.christies.com. Archived from the original on 2017-08-31. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
  16. ^ "Are politically motivated t-shirts making a comeback?". nss magazine. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
  17. ^ [3]
  18. ^ NYC, Weird Science Studio. "V Magazine / THE VIDEO: ENFANTS RICHES DEPRIMES". V Magazine.
  19. ^ [4] ANTI PUBLIC LIBRARY at Hypebeast
  20. ^ "Designer to Watch: Enfants Riches Déprimés - theFashionSpot". 23 August 2013. Archived from the original on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  21. ^ "Projects". Young & Starving. Archived from the original on 2017-08-23. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
  22. ^ "A Ralph Lauren Workout Shirt, Punky Vans Sneakers And Other Items for the Fall Shopping List". 10 September 2015. Archived from the original on 21 August 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017 – via NYTimes.com.
  23. ^ [5] Boutique Enfants Riches Déprimés, Paris, France
  24. ^ [6]Daft Punk Unveils Collaborative Merch With Enfant Riches Déprimés at Hyperbeast
  25. ^ "Exclusive: Maxfield Gallery Becomes a Pawn Shop for Enfants Riches Déprimés Pop-Up Event". Archived from the original on 2017-08-22. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
  26. ^ "Here's The Story Behind That Odd Pawn Shop on Melrose". 24 July 2017. Archived from the original on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  27. ^ "Thierry Lasry - Thierry Lasry". www.thierrylasry.com. Archived from the original on 2017-08-22. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
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