This time, we would like to invite you to create a t-shirt design as a 4-handed team.
The shirt’s design should be based on the theme: Monsters and fantasy universes.
Just one condition for the team to participate: one of the two designers has to have already participated in at least one laFraise contest. So you would have to submit your design with this designer’s account and put the other’s name in the comment.

Submissions
From 9th November to 7th December 2009.
+ one week for the voting to end.

One design will be selected to be printed on 500 laFraise t-shirts.
The winning DUO will receive €2,000 (divided in two payments of €1,000)

Good luck to everyone!

So, my name is Daniel Abensour, rather known under the not very prestigious nickname of Aphte in these green lands. I am a proud and spruce fellow of twenty-five summers and my current natural environment is southern France, where they find me habituating near the massif of Luberon, chasing a few handfulls of shrews to survive while working to create shelters for my peers (the last two practices of course cannot be compared with each other).

For the factual and less funky parts of my life, I have just finished my studies as “graphic designer conception designer etc. (I don’t remember the exact name, but it is really long) ” at the spirited Axe School South in Marseilles, and after a summer of shining brightly with the sun, I started to think passionately about what to do next while drawing things which plunged me into a self-perpetual dissatisfaction. Youpi!

But let’s talk about my happy little designs. Those who are familiar with my (kind of) work shall point out that I have a chronically fixed idea, so to say, with small creatures and fellows of all kinds (which, in the illustrato-graphic area, has become a something like a full discipline which can count a lot of supporters from all around the world). This roughly dates back to childhood neurotic animals where I collected some superfluous knowledge in my infantile noggin, so therefore I like to create bestiaries. Then this is combined with my great love of gaming (which unfortunately has subtly dried up due to my advanced age), and my fascination with creating new worlds.
On top of that I love comic books in all its forms, from the most banal franco-Belgian album to most incomprehensible things found in the underground. That is a little source of my inspiration, a cocktail being out of place in high society (insert feigned laugh) with a little zoology.

As to my methods, this is going not to make for a big paragraph. Add to the fact that I now create everything with a graphic tablet, it is even less complex.
Typically, I make a quick rough draft which includes a little of the masses and the overall dynamic, I say things like “ah, but there, this could be a huge train, and inside it’s full of figures who fight without any apparent reason; and this thing could be a kind of lanky living being which flies without direct connection above this train”. So, it is very intellectualized. Hergl.

I came to laFraise primarily due to greed, because at the time I was a young student greedy for money, but it turned out to be that the principle of competition, which goes against my ethical idiocy and anti-scholastic recidivism, and a tremendous creative engine, which just as well allows me to really make sure it doesn’t look like a stain and is something to please the eye. In other words, with all of the very good designers out there, this makes you think first before posting a design! On top of that, it is really great to follow the progress of other artists, as well as to see new talented designers arriving.

At the moment, I am developing some strong desires to make things like toys and lint (because it’s also great stuff), and also to make videos games (which is also very great), therefore this is a bit of a secret call to people who would be interested (but I do not fool myself). And it is necessary that I get my ass in gear because I have the tendency to be a bit lazy, as my kindergarten teacher Miss Merle had always said. Old owl.

And thank you to laFraise to have dedicated this small privileged moment to me! Wishing many more years of prosperity to the site!

Zombie Squirrel by Akrapf

let yourself feel. from Esteban Diácono on Vimeo.

Oxford Steampunk Art Exibition, until 21th February 2001 at the Museum of the History of Science.

Flickr

Russian doll by Lou is available in the shop.
First release with the new Mademoiselle cut, limited for this winter.

Continue for more details pictures.

We moved the ongoing submissions for Mademoiselle into the Classic Gallery so they can still be voted on. Unfortunately, the comments on those submissions have been lost during this shift.

So the question as to why we are doing this is still open. A tour through our stock pointed out that our feminine cuts represent 40% of our stock, while they only make up 20% of the sales. Furthermore, it would not be fair for the designers to keep this gallery open in view of the reduced selections (0-1 selections during the last few months).

Not to worry, the MAD cuts are here to stay. Starting today, the designs which are printed on Mademoiselle cuts will be selected out of the Classic gallery. Besides that, we would like to print certain designs on a 50% classic cut and 50% Mademoiselle cut.

Furthermore, we would like to periodically organize special contests that are designated especially for Mademoiselle. One of our ideas was to perhaps hold a contest during the winter to create designs for the summer: 6 selections, which then will make up 1 released MAD per month. We could do the same in the summer for winter too. These are just ideas, and we would warmly welcome any of your ideas and feedback.

Voila, this is a very honest but sad announcement. However, laFraise has gone through worse and is still there, as the words of our boss express.

Tell us who you are.
Monsieur Qui, Illustrator living and working in Paris. Love to paste fashion illustrations on the walls of Paris and other cities, and crazy about fanfare music.

Do you get inspired? or do you just sit down and doodle and hope something comes of that?
I doodle all day and night to learn drawing techniques, but ideas come usually from fashion, my surrounding, music, stupid things I’ve watched on TV or see in the street.

What is your best piece of art to date? which are you the most proud of?
For me, the best work in art is Faile’s work (www.faile.net),
In general, best art pieces for me are those which you can find and in the street, the biggest and freer gallery of the world.

You sit down, you grab the tablet pen or mouse, what goes through your mind? what are you listening to? are you wearing pants?
There are a lot of contradictory things in my mind. Inspired by fashion, but also by punk and street culture.
So to stay quiet I usually listen to punk rock or drum’n'bass, sometimes P-funk or Soul music and of course fanfare music.

What’r your thoughts on laFraise? good, bad? what are your thoughts on design contests in general? (be honest)
I always loved the humour of the LaFraise Tees, but i didn’t know much about the concept.
In general i don’t like design contests (or contest in general), probably because i’m too lazy
School conditioned us to be always in competition, i think it’s not the best way to bloom individualities.

Favorite items around your house/office right now, what are they?
Mr Potatoe ! (the toy) and O’clock, my stupid cat.

Favorite animal, least favorite animal? which do you think would taste the best with a side of mashed potatoes?
My favorite animal is the chinchilla (R.I.P. Monsieur Z), I love all animals

If you weren’t a graphic artist, what would you want to be?
A bandmaster

Any current projects/shows/releases you want to advertise?
A permanent exhibition of my illustrations all over the street of Paris.

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Mr. Qui’s tshirt is now available in the shop.