Fashion Brief: Junkprints

Fashion Brief Q&A’s — Introducing you to new and emerging talent and shops in fashion and accessories.
Website: Junkprints
Owner: Chanel

Q: How did you come about creating Junkprints?
About a year ago I was working for a design firm and the company decided to split. Instead of going with one partner or another, I decided to work freelance and use my free-time to make what ever I felt like making. I found myself revisiting some of the topics that I was exploring while in college. While I was in school I did a series series of 12 large prints called “Good Housekeeping for the New Negro Woman”. It was a surface exploration of race and gender in the media.

It’s been interesting to revisit those topics after having a bit of professional experience in the media industry and dealing with the fact that mainstream media doesn’t represent the actual populous, it represents the ‘ideal’ populous.

I’m attempting to balance out the playing field and approach social matters from a varied perspective. One thing I try to stress in my work, is that discrimination based strictly of being unfamiliar is harmful to communities as a whole and the results can be absurd to just sad. The specific topics are just tip. The core of the problem is lack of understanding. As simple as that sounds that lack of understanding affects the victim and the oppressor and causes strange spin offs such as over compensation by power holders and self segregated communities build strictly on visual appearance. I rarely come to conclusions in my work, I’m just presenting my audience with some healthy options.

Q: What images have been the most moving and symbolic for you when creating a Junkprint?
The main medium of Junkprints is collage and the themes are based on stereotypes and social binary opposition. I’m a salvager and duplicator who is super fascinated with propaganda and how we as people relate to our social environments. I start off by hoarding stuff (anything from vintage fabric packaging, news paper clippings, magazines, zippers etc.) in categories, do some research and then remix the topic. Sometimes the best execution is through photography or collage or illustration or a combination of all three, For me they all serve as visual tools. I can’t do any of them for too long without feeling like I’m gonna pull my hair out.

Q: Besides all of the great graphics you create, tell us about some of the other pieces in your collection.
A little over a year ago I launched Junkprints as a limited edition clothing and accessory line. I believe in art for the people. The majority of the people are not in galleries so that’s not where my art should be. The clothing line was an ideal medium for creating art that the day to day person can absorb.

Q: How are your pieces made?
I design all the graphics and hand print all the garments on sweatshop free tees, hoodies and up-cycled materials in Brooklyn. All of the bags and special one of a kind pieces are made from scratch. The core of my line is made in editions of 50.

Q: Who would you love to see your pieces on? People who ‘get it’ What kind of customer just exudes the energy behind Junkprints? I’ve worked for many companies that have pages of customer profiles and I found that once one does that, you start to create for who you think your customer is.I’m not down with that. I’m a creator so I’ll create and let the masses decide who the consumer is. I’ve had all kinds of customers from Williamsburg hipsters, Japanese teens, Political activists to chic 65+ women and all phasits in between. The one commonality that all have is confidence and a strong sense of self.

Q: Where can Clutchettes get there hands on one of your Junkprint pieces?
www.junkprints.com