On My Radar: François Vogel

What's the most creative advertising idea for a fashion brand you've seen recently?

I just recently started creating in the fashion space so I am not familiar with enough fashion advertising to say which brands have the most creative campaigns. I've had so much fun over the last year with fashion houses [including Zegna, below] who have approached me because they love my work and would like to create with me. I am excited to keep learning about what is being created in the space. 

What website(s) do you use most regularly?

I spend a lot of time on my computer doing visual experiments or working, so I prefer to stay away from screens in my free time. I am more intrigued by books, but I do like to play on Instagram.

What's the most recent piece of tech that you've bought?

A hard drive. I try to buy as few tech things as possible. I worry that those things are difficult to recycle and about how they were manufactured and what raw material was used.

What product could you not live without?

My pants. But I'll be happy to change them with skirts.

What's the best fashion film you've seen over the last year?

So many artists are constantly creating beautiful work that it is hard to say which is the best, but I will never forget those old commercials that I saw on TV when I was young. 

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

Zorba the Greek. It shows us in a very friendly way how to enjoy the beauty of simple moments and be open-minded and live richer lives, focused on the essentials.

What's your preferred social media platform?

Instagram. I like it, and I don't like it. You can see so many things, but it also takes up so much time that I probably should be doing other things.

What's your favourite TV show?

Breaking Bad. I love the first episode. There is so much happening in just that one episode!

Who's your favourite fashion designer?

Duro Olowu [below centre]. There is something geometrical about his work that I like a lot. The beauty of the patterns, the brightness of the colours and the simplicity of the shapes create something unique and fascinating.

What show/exhibition has most inspired you recently?

I saw a great documentary called Ici Brazza by a friend of mine, French director and artist Antoine Boutet, at the Film du Réel festival in Paris. It is about a piece of land changing from an industrial area, to a wasteland, to a neighbourhood. The rhythm and the approach of the film are very powerful.

What's the most significant change you've witnessed in the industry since you started working in it?

There seems to be less and less freedom for artists but, recently, with my work with brands such as Hermès, Zegna x The Elder Statesman, Armani and Jacquemus, I have had a lot of freedom to create anything that I would like, and that has been really refreshing and fun. 

If there was one thing you could change about the advertising industry, what would it be?

We should pay attention to how brands source their material and produce their products.