In just two years, the 28-year-old Alsatian designer has managed to do well with her refreshing and responsible burlesque creations, a true symbol of renewal. Portrait:
His name was ahead of everyone else on the Spring-Summer 2023 Fashion Week calendar. Victor Vincento opened Paris Fashion Week with his brand’s third show on Monday September 26 at 5:00 p.m. The next day, the show Everyday he was called “the new fashion prodigy”. On Friday, September 30, at the end of this emotional week, he welcomed us to his studio (and living space) in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. The young man is sitting on his favorite porch, a drink the same bright orange as his hair placed in front of him. His features betray both the tension, which has not quite subsided, as well as the joy of the work done.
Unreal moment of fashion week.
It must be said that the 28-year-old designer can be proud to have achieved the coveted title of designer in the field of vision in just a few seasons. And not only in the eyes of industry commentators. Her bold creations have already won over Madonna, Olivia Rodrigo found her way into the show Emily in Paris and in the show Drag Race France. A dazzling trajectory for someone who was destined for the spotlight, but not the podium.
From the Rhine to the catwalks of Paris
Far from the Parisian seraglio, it was in Alsace that Victor Vincento was born to a computer scientist father and a hospital executive mother. No one around him works in the creative field. However, it was when he saw his mother and sister dancing that he developed a passion for this art. After the conservatory, he rushes into an intense sports curriculum that forces him to travel but imprisons him with inappropriate rigor. At the age of 17, he finally returned to Strasbourg and “a bit by accident” became interested in fashion. He sees in this practice the creative freedom that he did not find in dance.
Sewing has not been this far. mother and maternal grandmother do it. And it turns out that Victor is very fond of his grandmother. To the extent of changing his surname from Brunstein to Weinsanto in founding his brand. Her grandmother’s voice will also accompany her first show at Paris Fashion Week in September 2021. You can hear him say the name of the collection. Hopla Geis, a phrase that translates encouragement into Alsatian. Family and roots. two leitmotifs for someone who left Alsace so early.
Saviors and good fairies
With a bachelor’s degree in hand, Victor enrolled at Atelier Chardon Savard in Paris and multiplied his internships, notably at Y/Project, as a fan of Glenn Martens. Then joins the ranks of Jean Paul Gaultier, a few weeks before the latter’s last parade. During this practice, Victor Vincento prepares his first collection at night and participates in the last one during the day, which he calls “Monsieur”, a sign of respect for the delicate, antique and special fashion houses he maintains. from his experience. She also made connections there with the Grande Dame, a drag queen who participated in the show (and would later wear one of her creations during the show Drag Race France ) A week after Gaultier’s last salute, he presents what is supposed to be a “crash test parade,” a sort of portfolio, in an attempt to land a job. We are at the beginning of March 2020 and seven days later the first arrest changes the situation. “I said to myself, hiring is over. While you’re at it, you might as well build your own brand.”
That day, Victor Vincento manages to attract the attention of Adrian Joffe. Designer Rei Kawakubo’s influential companion owns the lines of Dover Street Market, a contemporary and prestigious concept store. Appreciating the energy of this first parade was baptized Connes-sur-Mer, and moved by the presence of his entire family, he offered him unexpected logistical and commercial support. “Adrian was our savior,” the creator recalls today. Always accompanied by his parents, his companion (a model agent and brand accountant in his spare time) and a team of young people hired after his internship, Victor Vincento goes crazy. And luck smiled at him. Journalist Loic Prigent documents his first steps, and clothing designer Marilyn Fitussi. Emily in Paris, dresses actress Philippe Leroy-Bauillot in one of her sensual dresses from season 1 of the series. Remarkable appearance. sales of this dress, as well as her denim pieces, will put the brand on the rails.
Cabaret aesthetics and “woke” mode
On the catwalks, the Weinsanto label is synonymous with extravagance. cabaret vibes, monumental hats and sexy (and diverse) silhouettes are the designer’s prerogative. What inspires Victor Vincento? He cannot give a clear example, he talks about gorgeous women and “laughing ideas”. Like parading her designer friend Charles de Vilmoren with her own paintings hanging over her head for the Spring/Summer 2023 show. His motives are more precise: to make Alsace appear “sexier than sauerkraut and sausages”. Therefore, she makes her cultural heritage a playground, where pretzel belts, kelsh fabric and traditional headdresses are revisited, especially in the collection. Hopla Geis. Translating into ready-to-wear, her vision of glorious femininity is fragmented with architectural cuts that emphasize the contours of the body. They are hailed by the industry as finalists for the 2022 LVMH Prize. On the star side, he counts Madonna, Daphne Burki or Bilal Hassan among his followers.
Creative but far from crazy, Victor Vincento has a strong opinion about fashion. “It’s fun, dreamy. political domain because it represents identity; but also baseless industry”. According to him, this is where the mission of the generation of its creators comes from. “Ringardize the system” by giving each a little meaning. A movement in which he includes Kevin Germanier, Alphonse Maitrepierre, Benjamin Benmoyal, Charles de Villemorin… All remain friendly and help each other when they can.
The new scene is due to its good practice. the use of French materials, recycled, made nearby, the use of transport with a low C02 impact… With “value for money” always in mind, Victor Vincento also stretches his margins to limit them. the prices. And protects common sense. “If you buy a piece for yourself, you can keep it for 3, 4 years, for life. Today we have lost the value of clothes, we buy clothes made for 3 cents on the other side of the world, in frankly not terrible conditions; suddenly we lose sight of the fact that overuse of clothing is not normal.
If he does not consider himself insane, the designer insists on “woke” fashion. And dreams of always having fun, be it with his label, as the artistic director of the house, if the word of the brand speaks to him, or even in a completely different field. “The main thing is to have fun so you don’t regret it. Being a rich creative in my ivory tower, no thanks.
Source: Le Figaro
