WHAT IS ANTAGONY ? unisex clothing

What is Antagony?

Antagony, founded by the sweet and bubbly Mylène Rosnel, was born a few years ago and has been evolving ever since.
Between inspirations and way of thinking, she knew how to give Antagony an identity of her own while remaining in tune with the times.
Unisex collections with minimalist and Japanese looks that blend perfectly with the style of AFFAIRES ÉTRANGÈRES.

“ Introduce yourself in few words.

My name is Mylène Rosnel, I am 30 years old and I created Antagony two and a half years ago.
I studied Fashion in the north of France then returned back to Paris.
From there, I did a training in modeling stylist in two years at Modesta school and I continued in fashion marketing management.
I chose this school because it offered an alternation and allowed me to do theory and practice.

Why make unisex collections?

I’ve always loved men’s clothes and I often went to these shelves to be able to pick a few pieces. I found that their shirts, sweaters and especially their stitches had beautiful finishes and I was like, “but why for us women it’s not the same?”
I’ve always learned to mix men’s pieces with more feminine ones and I thought there was something to do with unisex fashion and above all, place the style first, to say that the garment, we love it and we want to wear it.

What is ethical fashion for you?

For me it is a fashion that is global in the way of thinking about fashion, of producing its clothes and materials.
It really has to be cross-cutting. Today, many brands do the “up-cycling”. This practice really starts with the creator’s convictions.
For me ethical fashion is: produce differently and less, choose beautiful materials rather than polluting materials, do not sacrifice style and produce in smaller quantities.

Why do you say Antagony is a philosophy?

For me, Antagony is more than a fashion brand. It’s like an art of living. The goal is to rethink fashion differently. Style is at the heart of the garment. I wanted, through my brand, to open the garment of the men’s/women’s locker room. To me, Antagony is like a stream of philosophical thoughts. Society is experiencing something and fashion is an issue because you have to review things, flatten them and do them differently.

What are your sources of inspiration?

I really like everything that is minimalist, Scandinavian, Japanese, whether in the design of objects or in clothing. I really like to take inspiration from these things to have graphic lines, colour combinations and the two designers I love are Martin Margiela and yohjki yamamoto.

Where do your fabrics come from?

Fine fabrics of designer houses. This is called dormant stocks.
These are subjects that I will rework for example by rethinking the material in a different way. I think it’s a plus for creativity, it boosts and it allows to be focused on a product rather than going on things a little too complex and propose a lot of things. The fact of practicing the “up-cycling” boosted me in terms of creativity, it made me want to sublimate this material.
From the beginning of my brand, I wanted to use the “up-cycling”, knowing that when you are a young designer you can’t afford to buy hundreds of metres of fabrics. It also allows to have some originality, because these are not clothes that are found on everyone. In addition to the“ up-cycling”, I also use organic fabrics for sweatshirts and t-shirts with digital printing, which are printed with environmentally friendly ink.

Do you have a favourite piece?

Yes, it is the shirt “Romance” (touching it on the bearing). It’s really a piece that defines Antagony with its offbeat and Japanese side.
The goal is to play on subtlety. It is both very sober and original. It’s an ideal piece for summer, which is my favourite season (laughs). With this piece, we can play on the male / female side. I really like the “Alex” shirt with its printed side that is woven into the material. This shirt for example, is made from fabric in stock service, in other words it is a fabric that is always available.

What made you want to create your brand?

When I was studying, the last thing I wanted to do was to create my own brand. The fact in being in alternation allowed me to see and discover different sectors.
I had the opportunity to work at Givenchy, in a central purchasing department that worked for Etam, Camaïeu and Naf Naf as well as for sharing sportswear. Among these different sectors, sharing left me a lot of autonomy, thanks to that, I gained maturity and professionalism. They let me start the first women’s collection. The central purchasing allowed me to see different styles of brands, especially for jeans that is a specific sector. And at Givenchy, I worked as a raw material buyer. These are various points that reflect me a lot because I really like to see things in their entirely.
From there, I realized that it did not convey my message and that it did not represent me. The only way to flourish was to create my brand. That’s how things started little by little.

For or against the men’s dress?

For or against? It’s like socks taps (laughs). I will not debate that. Personally, I cannot stand the socks taps style. The dress for men, I say that there are other ways to show that men and women can dress the same.

Why did you choose AFFAIRES ÉTRANGÈRES to represent your brand?

What I liked a lot was the multicultural side of the world’s selection of craftsmanship and at the same time I think that Eddy really has a very stylistic eye in the sense that he associates pieces without ever doing too much. I was admiring to see how he composed these looks and how he could associate a piece “made in France” with an embroidery that came from Afghanistan, and I was like “why we do not see it more often in the street, why do not people dare?” it’s never too much, just enough. I’m really glad that Antagony is part of AFFAIRES ÉTRANGÈRES.”

Interview by Apolline PRULHIERE.