IMBEHINDMYHEAD Founder Tony Launay Speaks On His Approach to Avant-Garde Fashion

At just 23 years old, French designer Tony Launay has swiftly emerged as a distinctive voice in the fashion industry with his avant-garde brand, IMBEHINDMYHEAD. Based in Paris, Launay's label is renowned for its fully handmade garments that challenge conventional design norms, offering a fresh perspective on contemporary fashion.

Launay's creations are characterized by their experimental silhouettes and meticulous craftsmanship, reflecting his commitment to pushing the boundaries of wearable art. Each piece is a testament to his artisanal approach, blending innovative design with a deep appreciation for traditional techniques. Through IMBEHINDMYHEAD, Launay invites fashion enthusiasts to explore a universe where creativity knows no bounds, positioning himself as a visionary in the ever-evolving landscape of design.

Hello Internet we are here today with the founder of fashion brand IMBEHINDMYHEAD. How are you feeling today? 

TL: I'm cool, pretty chill, and relaxed. I’m enjoying the showroom I’m at. It’s quiet at times, then crowded and busy. A lot of people tried on the clothes and were super kind and interested, so it’s great.

I think that's great especially for those that aren’t familiar with your work or don't follow your page to come and see what you’ve made in person. Perhaps this interview is someone’s first introduction to you, so let’s begin with an introduction- who are you, and what do you do?  

TL: My name is Tony Launay. I'm a 23-year-old creative, I have my artisanal brand of fully handmade garments. In my avant-garde designs, I utilize different materials and weird shapes. I make mostly all-black garments. For the latest pieces, I have been working a lot with leather. The garments I make are eye-catching, deep into the landscape, and dark silhouettes. 

Your brand name IMBEHINDMYHEAD. What does it signify?

TL: Actually, it's kind of personal. It's about my beliefs. You are the embodiment of the spirit. It's not merely that you possess a soul, rather, you are the soul, the very essence and spirit of life. The spirit is the ultimate, transcendent force, the highest being.

Meaning the body is merely a vessel. So what matters is what's behind that. What’s behind the head?

TL: Correct. I do think that you, as a spirit, are located behind your head. And that's why I think everything comes from there because it's you.

You just said that until recently, you were making exclusively black clothes? Would you say that your approach to making clothes revolves around creating something you would personally wear? What led to you making clothes?

TL: So first, I began making my own designs because great designer pieces were too expensive, or I simply couldn’t find what I liked on the market. So that's how I started. But yeah, I wear all my designs. Recently, I just switched my DNA, as I didn’t want to put myself in a box creatively and commercially. The fashion industry can make you feel pressured in those aspects. Earlier I felt trapped in that regard. Partially because I never went to fashion school and didn't have time to explore my style, I was simply focused on trying to materialize the ideas I had with the skills I had at the time. I never explored all the possibilities. I never before focused on creating a cohesive, full-on collection. Now I couldn’t care less for the commercial stuff and the trends. I want to do what I like. It's extravagant. 

See, well, what's your take on trends? Trends helped launch so many careers, but it can also be a setback when you start operating solely on them.

TL: If people decide to make one of my designs to make it a trend, I'll be honored. But for the moment,  I'm still a young designer, I don't feel like I've yet invented something entirely new. Until recently I used to stick to what was working and what I already knew how to make, which would often coincide with trendy. But my job as a designer is to be, ahead, above that. So if people want to take one of my garments and make it trendy, okay, perfect, it's good for business, but it’s not what I focus on.

Now, let's take a step back a bit, and I would like to ask you, how did the journey of you and fashion begin?

TL: So I was in high school. I was maybe 16 and I was good at drawing and painting. One day a teacher told me: “Hey, you are good at painting, and you can paint anything. But have you ever tried making a fashion design?” And I said I never did. She saw that I had my own style of dressing, and so she told me: “Hey, you should try fashion design.” And then the same evening, I tried, and I never stopped. And it was just so cool to create, that's how I started.

Since you started back then and have never stopped. Did you ever face a moment where you were, like, having creative blocks, if so how did you deal with that? 

TL: There is something that blocks me sometimes. It’s tough to choose between experimental creation and commercial creation. The challenge lies in deciding whether to dedicate my time to innovative designs or to focus on commercial work like crafting and fulfilling orders by myself.

Is there a favorite project you have worked on?

TL: It’s the one I'm doing right now because, as I told you, I switched directions which is a challenge, because I started the brand four years ago, and people know me for certain clothes that I'm not producing anymore. So I need them to keep following me which is a challenge. But I love this because I'm not lying to myself anymore, I do what I like to do, and I feel wonderful. It's a new start. I do have something particular in mind. I was doing a look with my intern three months ago, and we wanted to create a look to be perfect for rainy conditions. And we were looking to create a hat that can protect you from rain, sort of a face shield hat. At first, we struggled but after inversing my durag, the ideas started flowing and the pins started to attach.

Well, I feel like it's natural in the field that every designer goes through an evolution of sorts earlier or later. Can you share an instance when a design didn't go as planned? And how did you overcome that obstacle? 

TL: I do have something particular in mind. I was doing a look with my intern three months ago, and we wanted to create a look to be perfect for rainy conditions. And we were looking to create a hat that can protect you from rain, sort of a face shield hat. At first, we struggled but after inversing my durag, the ideas started flowing and the pins started to attach.

Did you ever find yourself in the spot where you faced criticism?

TL: Never happened, maybe not in my face or not in front of me. Maybe it happened but I never heard about it. Criticism can be beneficial. I need haters to be more on the scene hahaha.

I asked because I think a lot of stuff gets, not even hated on by others, just cancel culture, right? And everybody's just so quick to judge.

TL: To be honest, it never happened, even with my own style. You know, I dress casually like this, not every day, but when I go out, I wear heels and I, you know, I'm, I'm very skinny and I got long hair. So for regular people, it's like, oh, this is weird, extravagant. Yeah, it's extravagant. But, you know, I have never been faced with that, because even my parents, they totally accept that, and they're so supportive of my friends, they're so cool, and they're not even into fashion, and they love that, and they support me by buying by everything, and even like, just people in the streets. I never got harassed, I've never got yelled at, or even in the outskirts and ratchet parts of Paris, you know, I go, I wear heels, in the ghetto and no one says nothing to me. They're just like, speechless and that’s cool.

How do you see yourself in the brand evolving in the coming years?

TL: I'm redoing everything, it's a new start, like I said.  So for a moment I just want to make the people used to what I'm showing and then when there is a solid base I can think about the future. I’m open to working with some other professionals, it'd be easier. I'm only a professional at doing patterns, sewing, and drawings, but for communication, marketing, and things of that nature, I wouldn’t mind some assistance. 

Well in case any interns from Paris want to reach out, feel free to do so @uncanny.ibmh. Now slightly deviating from fashion here, what's the favorite book you have read? 

TL: There is a book that I always want to have, the integral artwork of Jérôme Bosch. He’s a painter from the middle ages. This guy was so ahead of his time, I think he was the first guy doing surrealism, and I think he was the first guy painting nightmares for fun- an unusual occurrence at the time as artworks were mostly religious and commissioned by the church. I find that very inspiring.

Thank you for elaborating, you putting me on right now. What is one thing you wish people knew more about your work?

TL: I'm launching some jewelry soon. So hopefully people can check that out. It is something that has interested me for so long, I hope people like what me and my colleague have to show. 

How do you measure and define your achievements? We all have our to-do lists of stuff that has to get done, but how do you avoid getting lost in the mix of things?

TL: To be honest, and I was talking about it with people recently, I feel happiness when I'm creating, I love and appreciate the process, not just the final result. As long as it can continue like this I'm happy. If it can stay this way forever, that'd be perfect. So I think this is a success. And if you can do that as long as possible, this is perfect.

Lastly, if you could collaborate with any artist/designer brand, anyone who would it be? Feel free to name a few, even if multiple come to mind. 

TL: There is one artist I want to collaborate with who is not a designer at all. I think most people wouldn’t call him an artist, but he's a YouTuber. This YouTuber is named ALT 236, he is quite known amongst fashion and art enthusiasts. He's a guy who makes long, detailed, informative videos about all the connections and meanings behind different art forms. Describing the strange details in the painting, in movies, etc. What I like is that he's exploring Blame, Giger, Zdzisław Beksiński, and a lot of surrealist artists. The way he talks and the way he presents people's work is incredible. Nearly everything I know about art, about vocabulary, comes from him.

That’s so cool. Shout out to Alt 236.

TL: He made a video named The Blank Page. There he dives into themes of “Oh, you can be depressed because there is so much art around you, but you are you, and so you can create what anyone could create, and so on”. He talks about personal style, how you create your own style, and that you can be intimidated when you see Michelangelo or Da Vinci's works. You can be depressed, because then there is so much beauty in the world, and there are so many unknown artists that do crazy stuff.

I'll go check him out later. It’s in French, right?

TL: The Blank Page is in English, there are only, like, two or three videos in English. 

Thank you for the insight. I think we're gonna conclude on that, man, this was lovely. Thank you for your time. It was amazing.

TL: Likewise, thank you.