By Leandro Infante
After living many years abroad, the designer came back to develop Chimen Aike, a brand that has shown great growth and one of the ones with best future projection in the local market. Le Banana talked with Santiago and he told us details about his life and his firm.
You lived many years in Europe, you worked and studied there, how was it coming back to Argentina and how did you find the local market?
Coming back was difficult. Mainly because I lived almost eight years abroad between London and Paris and I left a whole life there. I find it difficult getting used to some things that are common here in our country. But among the chaos we live in, I see an industry that doesn’t stand old patterns anymore and new ways of doing business emerging. Crisis always bring new opportunities and that is also true in the fashion industry.
How was it to study at Central Saint Martins in London?
It was a unique experience. Not only because of the institution itself but also because they teach you how to think out of the box. As long as you know the basis of design, no one will tell you how to develop an idea. Projecting ideas is something personal and it only depends on you and your faith in that idea. Central Saint Martins freedom of thought is the main reason why it has the best artists of the industry. It sounds ironic but although there is plenty freedom of expression, there is also a great pressure to be the best in what you do.
For which brands did you work abroad and what did you do there?
I worked for many brands. I started in Alexander McQueen as manager of textile development and then I changed to the male tailor’s development department. Only being there I could understand what it means to work for one of those brands. I had always dreamt of working for McQueen and finally I was there! Then I decided to work for more emerging brands such as Craig Green, that today is one of British most acclaimed designers, and it was another awesome experience. Since it was an emerging brand, I learnt to deal with providers, warehouses and factories, and also how it is to develop a PyMe collection. I was in charge of everything from moldering and textile design to the relationship with PRs – of course I worked with a great team of friends. When I finished that cycle I moved to Paris, where I worked for Lanvin. That was another milestone in my life. I learnt to value handcrafted items and I got to know French traditional way of working and that was priceless for my career. I also worked as a freelance designer for Gucci, developing stamps. Gucci taught me what corporate work is about and there I learnt to adapt to clients’ needs. Each one of those experiences together with my formal education made me the designer I am today and taught me that persistence and modesty are the most important values in life.
How was the process of creating Chimen Aike?
Chimen Aike just happened, naturally. I was offered this project when I was finishing a master’s degree in textiles in Saint Martins. I liked the offer because I had been living abroad for a long time and coming back to Argentina was a great challenge. I decided to come and create a project named after the ranch where I grew up in the South.
If you had to describe your firm in 3 words, which ones would you choose?
Ludic, Timeless and Groundbreaking.
What is Chimen Aike’s woman like?
She is strong, independent and always ahead of the curve. She is also friendly, enterprising, sexy and elegant. I don’t like to define her neither as a woman nor for her age or traits but for her personality: a strong person.
What inspired “Bang”, your latest collection?
The challenge it means to create in the middle of utter chaos.
What do you find in common between architecture – which you’re studying now- and fashion?
I think there are many things in common. I like the material nature of things and I am obsessed about clothes and how they fit. That is like building: you think about the structure, the materials, the colors; everything.
What inspires you to create?
Everything can inspire you if you’re open for inspiration. Apart from art, textiles and materials that always surprise me; I love watching films that tell stories and reading books that help me go deeper into the concept of each collection. But I can also be inspired by something I see walking on the street, something ordinary that people may not see.
Do you have creative crisis? How do you cope with them?
We need crisis to question ourselves. If they didn’t exist, people wouldn’t evolve. In the creative process, crisis help me to achieve what I want to say. They also force me to keep changing. I mean, to create something really new, something that hasn’t been shown before on a catwalk, we need inspirational crisis. I solve them being alone for quite a long time, listening to my music and doing things that help me find my inner self.
Which place do social media have in your life and which one is your favorite one?
Truth is I have a love-hate relationship with social media. I feel they are a useful and necessary tool for a company to grow, but, on the other hand, I think they damage many people and they give too much information. They isolate people and break social relationships, and they make people live a virtual life that many times has nothing to do with their real lives. There are more and more people all around the world going to tech detox centers. I only use Instagram, but I use more the company’s feed than my personal one.
Do you have a “style” muse?
Barbarella, the science-fiction character.
Which are your three basics to create a look?
Boots, an anatomical black dress and a jacket with some kind of textile intervention.
Which public figure would you like to dress?
Ana Torrejón.
Have you ever dreamt of being the creative director of one of those mythical brands we have talked about?
Now I am a 100% focused on Chimen Aike, that was planned as something more than just a clothes firm. I want it to expand and grow. There are still many goals to achieve and we are working hard to do it.
What will we see this winter in Chimen Aike?
More prints created exclusively for the brand and a series of capsule collections both for day and night to surprise our clients all along the season. We will continue designing shoes and we will include an exclusive jewelry line created with materials from our Patagonia that seek to value our country, adding something different and modern to typical handcrafted items.
Which are your plans for the future?
As from this second season, the company will give more value both to its social and environmental bases. We will highlight that we are not just a company that hang its clothes every season but also and most importantly a company committed to its environment and social context. We have planned to carry out a project with women that are leaders in the industry and to include materials from CHIMEN AIKE ranch, done by craftsmen in the South. The idea of making people conscious about another kind of consumption is really important and is what is happening all around the world. People tend to think that he word sustainable just has to do with biodegradable clothes and in fact is much more than that. We have to be conscious about where and how our clothes are made and the importance of buying less but better products.
Which advice would you give to those who want to work in the fashion industry?
Persistence, conviction and modesty.
Le Banana Top 5 by Santiago
A City : Paris
A song: Bang Bang, by Nancy Sinatra
A film/series: The Eyes of Laura Mars
A perfume: Un Jardin en Mediterranee, de Hermès
A sweet: I don’t eat sweets!