Roman by way of an Italian father with a Haitian mother. I represent an intersecting point between two seemingly opposite cultures. It is a cultural distillate, and a cross-border fertilization project, that I narrate through fashion, which I understand to be a tool and not solely an aesthetic landing point. Fashion it is a powerful international megaphone that allows beauty to make a pathway in the viewer, a pathway that, for me, transforms into a channel of integrationist contamination.
A collection is more than the sum of its garments; clothes can speak louder and in a more incisive manner than many words, somehow managing to ignite cultural fabric. Métissage is the gateway to social development. The meeting of cultures, and the relative inclusiveness, is an irreversible choice to this very day. The point at which we could decide whether or not to deal with others different from us has already passed; the others are already part of us. I am an example.And I think it is clear I am irreversible.
BIO:
Stella Jean is a self-taught Italian-Haitian designer. Her desire is to make ethically sound clothes by helping the less advantaged women in the world. By doing so she will be able to create bold and colorful clothing inside and out. Her designs have been worn by celebrities like Rihanna and Beyoncé.
QA
Who did you inherit your artistic side from?
My home has always had an air of creativity about it. My Haitian mother’s very refined tastes, a student at the Academy of Dramatic Arts, an excellent decorator, had a strong impression on me. My Italian father, from Turin, a jewelry designer, lover of hand-made clothes so much so that I always accompanied him to his tailor’s when he wanted to have clothes made.
When was your first experience in fashion?
I spent my teenage years surrounded by family friends from the fashion world, such as Von Fusternberg. Thanks to them I started to model. But I wasn’t satisfied only modeling. I found the moments spent in the show room much more interesting, when they try the clothes on you.
You’re practically surrounded by an army of seamstresses that appear to be Knights Templar engaged in some kind of ceremony punctuated by terms and movements that lead to the creation of a garment.
I decided to leave the runways and from there began my creative process. At the beginning I aimed only at creating nice things, of Italian craftsmanship, and painting on fabric – so much so that I still work with Nadia Valli, a 87 year-old woman who in the past exhibited in prestigious museums in Paris, and with only one hand realizes all the painted images that you see on my clothes – she lost mobility on one side of her body due to a stroke.
The “wax” is a way to recount Haiti’s African roots, the first colony to gain independence from the French in 1804. How connected do you feel to the country?
Very. When it comes up I tell people that I’m half Haitian and they respond “oh poor thing, I’m sorry,” I say, “don’t worry. Haiti has a lot to teach us.” I don’t hide the fact that there are pockets of poverty and misery across the country, but in cultural, artistic and literary terms Haiti has a large influence in the Caribbean that no other country has – except Cuba.
The only art movement of the Caribbean, recognized and emulated internationally, is the art naif, which in fact was born in Haiti.
Just think that one of the most important ministers of French culture, André Malraux, had studied this art a great deal, declaring that the island, from an artistic point of view, was the most magical place he had ever been. It is a enormous recognition, but if we don’t talk about these things they’ll never be known. I bombard everyone about this, so much so that my partner has forgotten about Italy.
And then one thing that distinguishes the Haitians, regardless of their social background, is the class, the way they dress. They care a lot about dressing well. For them it is a matter of respect. I admire them a lot for this.
Now we have to work so people stop believing that Haiti is the extension of a slum. July 10 is Haiti’s day at the Expo in Milan. Recently I was in the country with the Ethical Fashion Initiative to meet some local artisans with whom I want to create special accessories. In my latest collections, also swimwear, there is a lot of La Perle des Antilles.
.jpg)
.jpg)
