Né à Chicago en 1963, le designer africain-américain Earl Pickens a grandi dans les difficiles quartiers sud de la ville. Il intègre le School of Art Institute à l’âge de 17 ans mais après une journée, comprenant son manque d’expérience de l’Amérique blanche, il abandonne l’école pour travailler dans un magasin de vêtements pour homme dans le nord de Chicago, où il apprendra l’art de la communication avec les clients, ce qui l’aidera dans ses futures relations, interviews et présentations. Après deux années à temps plein au service du meilleur détaillant de Chicago, David Rosenberg, Earl réintègre l’école et obtient son diplôme en création et illustration de mode. Durant cette période, Earl reçoit plusieurs prix, notamment le prestigieux Lazarus Designer of Tomorrow pour lequel 450 étudiants américains concourent et où il est reçu numéro 1 et reçoit un chèque bienvenu de 10 000 $ pour l’aider à commencer sa propre compagnie. Ironie du sort, avant même de recevoir le chèque, il rencontre le créateur français Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, en visite dans l’école pour y construire un Beaux-art ball. Ce dernier lui offre un stage de 3 mois à Paris. Earl s’achète une valise dans une boutique d’occasion et y fourre tout ce qui lui appartient, projetant de ne plus jamais retourner dans son quartier, alors régi par les gangs. Lui qui, à 18 ans, a déjà vu six morts, a subi l’extrême pauvreté et les coups de feu répétés la nuit, il sait que Paris ne pourrait être que mieux et mise sur le rêve qu’une fois qu’il aura mis le pied dans la maison de la mode, on ne voudra plus le laisser partir.
Cela se révèlera vrai puisqu’il restera 17 ans aux côtés de JCDC. Aujourd’hui encore, alors qu’il a quitté le créateur, il continue d’assister l’équipe backstage à chaque défilé.
Pendant ces 17 années chez JCDC, Earl travaille d’abord sur les licences des collections sportswear et des accessoires et devient plus tard le responsable du studio, en charge d’une équipe où l’on parle huit langues différentes. Les années 90 marquent l’avènement du streetwear, de la musique hip-hop et du denim. C’est à cette période que naît chez Earl l’amour des mélanges. Le prêt-à-porter haut-de-gamme et le denim n’avaient pas été mis au-devant de la scène depuis Calvin Klein au début des années 80, Earl lance donc sa première collection denim tout en travaillant pour JCDC. Le succès de sa collection est immédiat, les ventes suivent et la presse encense la qualité italienne et la création haut de gamme de ses vêtements. Mais à la seconde saison, le 11 septembre 01 rend les acheteurs méfiants et Earl se voit dans l’obligation de mettre un terme provisoire à ses créations. Il quitte JCDC et en 2008, il est recruté par Andy Rigg, le directeur marketing de Lee Cooper, pour travailler sur le projet des 100 Ans de la marque. Fort de ses relations dans l’industrie de la mode, Earl permet la collaboration avec 50 prestigieux artistes et créateurs. L’idée est que chacun crée une pièce unique qui sera vendu aux enchères au profit de la Croix Rouge. Chaque pièce est réalisée par Earl qui, en parallèle du projet, assure à Lee Cooper une collaboration de trois ans avec son ami de longue date Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, ainsi qu’avec la comédienne et icône de la mode, Lou Doillon. Au même moment, Earl se remet à la création pour sa propre collection. Le succès rencontré ne suffit pas à son ambition et il veut développer un nouveau concept, davantage basé sur la qualité du produit. Lors du Salon FATEX, Earl rencontre Jean Normand, propriétaire des usines Bocage et Vendée Couture qui produisent pour les plus grands noms de la mode prestigieuse de luxe. La qualité et le savoir technique des usines de Jean Normand correspondent à ce dont Earl a besoin pour faire sortir le denim de la rue. Une nouvelle collaboration est née entre Earl Pickens et Jean Normand, qui prévoient ensemble un travail sur le long terme. Cette collaboration a pour but d’apporter un nouveau style de denim haut-de-gamme dans le paysage de la mode, permettant à Earl de renouer avec la couture streetwear dans sa forme la plus pure et d’assouvir son désir de travailler à nouveau avec les usines françaises.
Earl Pickens is a fashion designer, attended the school of the art institute in Chicago in 1981. He dropped out of the school after the first day to work in a clothing shop that sold menswear on the north side of town, where he would learn the skills of communicating with people that would help him with future relationships, interviews and presentations. After 2 years of working full time in the shop with one of Chicago¹s best retailers, David Rosenberg, Earl re-entered the school and majored in Fashion design and illustration. During his three years in the school, Earl gathered several awards and top honours in Fashion, notably the prestigious Lazarus designer of tomorrow award in which over 450 students from the USA, applied. He was chosen number 1 and received a well needed Check of 10,000 dollars to start his fashion company, ironically before he could get the check he met a visiting designer from Paris by the name of Jean Charles de Castlebajac who was putting together a Beaux arts ball at the school, and was offered a intern in Paris for three Months. Earl later bought Second hand luggage from a thrift shop and put everything he owned inside, he had plans of never returning to the gang riddled Chicago south side again, after witnessing 6 deaths in a span of 18 years, severe poverty, night time shootings, he knew Paris could not be worst and took the chance that once he was in the Paris fashion house they would not want him to leave.
Earl Pickens is a fashion designer, attended the school of the art institute in Chicago in 1981. He dropped out of the school after the first day to work in a clothing shop that sold menswear on the north side of town, where he would learn the skills of communicating with people that would help him with future relationships, interviews and presentations. After 2 years of working full time in the shop with one of Chicago¹s best retailers, David Rosenberg, Earl re-entered the school and majored in Fashion design and illustration. During his three years in the school, Earl gathered several awards and top honours in Fashion, notably the prestigious Lazarus designer of tomorrow award in which over 450 students from the USA, applied. He was chosen number 1 and received a well needed Check of 10,000 dollars to start his fashion company, ironically before he could get the check he met a visiting designer from Paris by the name of Jean Charles de Castlebajac who was putting together a Beaux arts ball at the school, and was offered a intern in Paris for three Months. Earl later bought Second hand luggage from a thrift shop and put everything he owned inside, he had plans of never returning to the gang riddled Chicago south side again, after witnessing 6 deaths in a span of 18 years, severe poverty, night time shootings, he knew Paris could not be worst and took the chance that once he was in the Paris fashion house they would not want him to leave.
This later proved to be true, as he spent 17 years in the hands of JCDC and still attends his team backstage during the shows even now. Within those 17 years Earl worked on License sportswear collections, accessories, and later head of the design studio, where the team was a mix of eight different languages. What the late 90¹s brought was a strong emerges of Streetwear, hip hop music, and denim, this is where his love for mixing truly began. High end ready to wear and denim had not been an issue since Calvin Klein in the early 80’s, so Earl, set out and launched his first denim line while still under JCDC¹s umbrella. The success of the first collection was immediate, sales and press praised the Italian quality and upscale designs, but disaster struck the next season when 9/11 put fear into every major buyers that placed orders. Cancellation pursued and Earl 12,000 pieces where all put to rest, yet he left JCDC anyway, hoping that lighting would strike in the same place twice, it didn’t, it would take >another four years before his luck would change again. Lee cooper came at the right time, down on his luck, Earl returned to JCDC to work on the fashion show, but as he was walking throught the doors of the studio, Andy Rigg, the marketing director of Le Cooper called. Two days >later he was hired to bring in artist to make unique pieces for their 100 year anniversary, using all his relationships in the industry, Earl brought in 50 artist and designers. That included making each piece for each artist, and two long term contracts with Lou Doillon and his old friend Jean Charles de Castelbajac, signed on for three year deals. His collection was put into work at the same time and the results were as before, but fashion had caught up to his concept and he wanted to move upward. On one of his trip to a maufacturing fair, Earl met a factory owner named Jean Normand who was producing for the biggest names in Paris. This was the quality and technical knowledge that Earl wanted to move denim beyond street wear. This new collaboration is intended to bring a fresh look at high end denim, street couture in its purest form and his long term wish to rework with french factories. Earl is now in a long term deal with Jean Normand of FABRIQUES DE L’OUEST.
