wiTh fQ: How did the collaboration between you and M·A·C come about? A: It was like a movie! M·A·C was somehow connected to
my L.A. gallery, and they requested I meet them for a meeting. In New York there was snow everywhere, which made me very late, and I rolled in wearing these huge boots and feeling like this crazy French girl in an important American meeting. I had been dreaming about making my own cosmetics collection, and with their colour range and commitment to representing different ethnicities, I knew it would be the right fit. Iâ??m a very lucky girl. Two days later, they offered to work on a project with me, and thatâ??s when I started creating the three characters for this collection, which came naturally and smoothly, like a knife in butter! Q: Can you introduce us to the world of the Fafinettes and
the Carmine Vault?
A: The Carmine Vault is a parallel world, it links to our
planet but has many differences such as food, nature, and behaviour. We can meet the Fafinettes but there are also other creatures like Birtak and Hmilo, who are all trying to live in harmony. Iâ??ve been painting Fafinettes on walls since 1994 and at some point, three years ago, I decided they shouldnâ??t be alone anymore, plus, I wanted to add a richer universe to my creations.Q: What was your previous experience in the world of beauty, if any?
A: I have always been crazy about black mascara! I think if there was just one piece of makeup I was allowed to take on a desert island that would be it. (I would use some fruits for my lips and cheeks!) I like
the idea of crying with mascara. Itâ??s beautiful, plus it gives you expressive, doll eyes. Overall, makeup is a way to transform your look. It makes us happy and gives us confidence.Q: Who or what inspires you?
A: Iâ??m so inspired by real women, my friends.
My husband is a DJ, so music and the girls I see dressed up at parties are so inspiring. In fact, at a party in Tokyo there were three girls dressed up as Fafinettes. Iâ??ve even seen some girls wearing Fafinette tattoos. I mean, graffiti is ephemeral but tattoos, wow!
Q: When did you first come up with the concept of tagging these girls?
A: At first I was painting these green Martians in profile, which was limiting because I couldnâ??t express emotions. So I moved on to these more human subjects. The Fafinettes have been an evolution though. Theyâ??ve gone through more sexualized, even pornographic stages, and now itâ??s becoming this whole universe with new characters in the Carmine Vault. Sexiness is not my main thing â?? itâ??s more about being coy, a suggestion. Now that I have a child perhaps the Fafinettes are growing up a bit as well. They are less obvious. Itâ??s more about the attitude, not vulgar, but definitely defiant.
Q: What does femininity mean to you and why do you think you created such a female-centric world with your characters?
A: I never think about it, I just act and it seems like many girls from all over the world can relate to my drawings. Iâ??m not conscious of that. I guess my life, my art, my friends, what girls do in this world, are all connected.
Q: If you were a Fafinette character, what would she
be like?
A: I am the original Fafinette, just watch me party!
Q: Can you describe how painting a wall and painting your face can be similar or different?
A: Everything is about emotion, how youâ??re feeling, like do you want to be noticed today or not? I think makeup is crazy for that: you can be unnoticeable if youâ??re not wearing any, and if youâ??re in a happy mood, meeting your friends or lover, you can express so many things through it.
Q: Why do the Fafinettes have hearts painted on
their cheeks?
A: The Fafinettes are natural-born lovers, so itâ??s just natural for them to have it on their body. This is why it felt so natural to work with M·A·C!
Q: What are your favourite products from the collection?
A: I like the Iridescent Pressed Powder. I canâ??t wait to see it on display and actually have it in my hands.
Q: While working on this project, did you make any discoveries about yourself or find any new influences?
A: I really wanted to create empowered females that girls can relate to. I think they have the right attitude and hope girls will be in love with them.
Q: What do you want to achieve with this project?
A: Ubiquity! Iâ??ve had my time of scary stuff with graffiti, now I want to spread the word without any effort other than my imagination.
Q: Your work is perceived as having similarities to animae/Japanimation (female characters with exaggerated features, big eyes, sexualized figures). Are you now or were you originally influenced by Manga, etc.? Can you talk about the connection?
A: I used to be inspired by Manga at my beginnings, I loved Dr. Slump, Gunnm and early Dragonball, but I donâ??t do Manga at all and I donâ??t feel very close to it. Iâ??d rather be compared to Vaughn Bode or another indie American comic.
Q: Whatâ??s the question you wish people would ask you?
A: "What kind of boy would you have been?": I think a very gay one!
fAFI BiO
Once upon a time there was a little girl born in Toulouse, France, who grew up to develop a fascination with street art and a courageous desire to run with the "big boys." She promptly dropped out of school and went grassroots when she began painting characters on her hometown walls in 1994 against the backdrop of the vibrant local graffiti scene. Her first images consisted of green Martians in profile, but she found the lack of emotion she could present stifling. This led to the creation of a group of sassy, sexy, and sometimes outright outrageous group of human-esque girl characters called the Fafinettes, which soon became her trademark. Word on the street travels fast, and soon this new graphic languageâ??with its exploration of femininity through subversive stereotypesâ??was catching on. Thus, the Toulouse girl gathered up her brushes and paint cans and branched out to Paris and then the world, leaving her Fafinette legacy on the planetary playground of Europe, U.S.A., Japan, and Hong Kong. Soon enough Sony would ask her to design a six-character toy set for the Time Capsules collection, an almost natural move for her three-dimensional measures. Other successful figurines would follow, as well as numerous expositions and collaborations with Sony, Colette, Adidas, LeSportSac, and Coca-Cola, plus countless press stories in prestigious magazines such as Vogue, Elle, and The Face. Recently, her vision sprung to life in an animated Mark Ronson video featuring a Fafi-ed Lily Allen, and documented in the print world via books: Girls Rock (2003) and Love and Fafiness (2006). Now that sheâ??s a mother, sheâ??s stretched her creative wings further to create a new dimension for the Fafinettes, an entire dreamy universe called the
Carmine Vault filled with new characters as magical and diverse as the girls themselves.
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