PHLEMUNS

April 04, 2017

It’s not every day that a small fashion label gets to create custom pieces for not just one, but both of the Knowles sisters. But then, it’s also not every day that one can spin inimitable patchwork denim pieces out of found vintage material. Enter gender-bending designer James Flemons—or PHLEMUNS, as he’s known in the fashion sphere (and presumably amongst the Illuminati as well).

With a celebrity clientele of Tinashe, Miley Cyrus, and even Zac Efron, Flemons transformed what started as a denim-focused brand into a niche line of clothing, coveted by internet cool kids and celebrities alike. Despite his impressive CV, the young designer’s talents span much further than who he’s dressed during his rather short career.

Text by Alexis Noelle Barnett
Photos by Alex Lee
Styled and produced by Rachel Hodin

PHLEMUNS began back in 2014 as a brand focused on reconstructing denim and creating a sustainable approach to fashion. “A few years ago, I used to never wear denim, it was my least favorite thing to wear,” James explained over the phone. “I wanted to figure out a different approach to denim, in a way that fits more of my style or in a way that I would like to wear it because I was in a time where I was constantly wearing slacks or something a bit more ‘dressed up’. I wanted to have more of a middle ground. I shop a lot at Goodwill and I would just see all the racks of denim and was like ‘why don’t I just play around with it and see what I can come up with?’”

Clearly, it’s worked out. So we spoke to the designer about working with Solange, 2000s style, and what it’s like to work as a young, Black designer.

What would you say is the biggest difference in how you approach design now versus how you approached it when you first start out?

When I first started, it was out of me practicing my sewing skills, my techniques and more of just finding my way. I think it was through my trial and error process of figuring out how to work with garments and denim, I have this idea of who I am as a designer as opposed to who I thought I was as a designer. So it’s definitely less of a question thing. Before it was more "where is this going to go," as opposed to "this is where it’s going."

What are some of your biggest influences when it comes to your style?

My parents have always had a big influence on my personal style. My mom was a thrifter growing up, so I always found it fascinating that she would find these amazing things at the thrift store, and that really rubbed off on me, which in turn rubbed off on the way I design.

I kind of say I am my target market because I initially designed clothing for myself. Andre 3000 and Kelis have always been big style influencers for me. They’re always people who I have in mind—more particularly their style back in the '90s and 2000s. I really just work off of what’s in my head. I don’t know if it’s weird to say but I don’t reference much other things. I think I take in everything I see as like a constant, but I don’t really go looking for things or looking for references.

Who would you say your customer is?

It’s definitely someone who wants to make a statement without being over the top. I kind of shy away from very attention grabbing things. I hate when all eyes are on me.

But you love dancing, don’t you?

[Laughs] I do! But I think that’s a whole other person that comes out. That’s the only time when I’m like "okay, I don’t mind that everyone’s looking at me."

I like things that are impactful without being over the top or showy. And a person who likes to have a middle ground between casual wear and elegant, dressed up clothing. I definitely think that’s why my partnership and growth with Solange has been very sustainable because she’s always been that kind of person. She’s always had this middle ground of being casual but also being elegant and fancy or dressed up in a sense. And that’s very much the type of person that I look to dress.

Think less and act more. Don’t second-guess yourself, don’t question anything.

How did you end up connecting with Solange?

I initially met her when I worked at Opening Ceremony, and I helped her when she came in. She’s really good friends with a lot of the people up on the corporate level for Opening Ceremony, and she reached out to one of the guys and was looking for someone to style a shoot for one of the artists on Saint Heron in L.A., so that’s kind of where it sparked. Through that she found out about my clothing line and fell in love. [When] I put my spring collection out, the photos were floating around on Instagram, and I guess there was one dress that she kept coming across, and that sort of sparked our collaboration because that’s when she was getting everything ready for Saint Heron shop. And the Saint Heron team reached out to me and asked if I would be interested in doing custom pieces. Now it’s just kind of grown into a cool relationship.

Do you still make everything by hand?

Yeah, it’s just me by myself sewing in my living room.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced since you first started designing clothing?

The biggest challenge is just being so small and not having support from a team. There’s no one really working for me and all the money’s coming out of my pocket. It’s great that I have a demand but keeping up with the demand is really taxing and it wears on me a lot.

Do you find it difficult to navigate the industry as a young Black designer?

It hasn’t really happened much recently, but something that got to me for so long is when people would say I have an “urban fashion line.” I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being urban or anything that comes along with it, but I feel like people only say that because they saw my face and saw that I was Black. And it’s like, I don’t have an “urban” line at all! I feel like some of my influences have come from urban culture, but I don’t think that that’s what you would call it.

I feel like I’ve been really grinding for a few years now and I’ve done pretty noticeable things, and I feel like I haven’t gotten the attention that I deserve in the timing that it’s happened. And then there are other people that I see who are doing these things left and right and no hate to their success or anything, but it’s like, I have been doing this and no one’s really noticing. But I’m patient and my time will come on it’s own. I do think there’s a difference when people see that I’m Black and there’s something that comes along with that that’s different than other people’s experiences.

What advice do you have for people out there who want to start their own line?

Think less and act more. Don’t second-guess yourself, don’t question anything. Do as much as you can even if no one’s paying attention. And do it for yourself and your own self-enjoyment. When you do it for yourself, when other people appreciate it, everything comes as icing on the cake. Especially for the fashion industry, it’s not just a fun, creative thing. It’s a lot of stress and a lot of work and it takes a lot of time and patience. You have to be strong or mentally stable, stay true to who you are. I feel like that’s what brought a lot of people’s attention to me: the fact that I do what I want and I don’t second-guess myself.

Describe PHLEMUNS as a song.

“Millionaire” by Kelis and Andre 3000.

See more from PHLEMUNS here.

Fashion

How Youssouf Fofana and Jordan Brand are showing up for Paris youth

April 15, 2024

Ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Nike transformed the Palais Brongniart into the ultimate showcase of Nike AIR, the groundbreaking tech that’s revolutionized athletic performance since its debut in 1978. ‘Nike on Air’ marked the final countdown to the biggest sport stage, offering a moment to celebrate the hard work and technology that brought it all to life, and unveiling the footwear and apparel the brand’s athletes will don this summer. Guests were given an exclusive preview of the 2024 national uniforms and athlete kits set to grace the fields of play in Paris, alongside a glimpse of the latest innovation in Air technology: a sculpted unit in the upcoming Pegasus Premium, slated for release in 2025.

Nike Air extends beyond performance enhancement, it has become a symbol of individuality for athletes and beyond. Growing up in The Bronx, where the swoosh was as ubiquitous as the jumpman, sneakers acted a form of self-expression and cultural identity. Juliana Sagat, lead designer of women’s footwear product lifestyle, explains that Nike’s athletes similarly seek gear that not only optimizes their performance but also reflects their personalities and experiences. For them, the process of designing and choosing gear boils down to three key elements: the blend of experience, expression, and emotion. While Air for Nike is all about innovation, Air for Jordan shows up for the culture, uniquely, its in communities. Like the swoosh, the jumpman means something to people, signifying not only athleticism but belonging.

Text by Sahir Ahmed
Photography by Seth McGinnis

In a similar spirit, Youssouf Fofana, a Parisian native of Senegalese origins and the founder and creative director of Maison Château Rouge and the United Youth International (Union de le Jeunesse), an organization empowering Parisian youth through entrepreneurship, embodies the cultural fusion that Jordan Brand champions. Youssouf's five year long collaboration with Jordan Brand extends beyond fashion; it represents a cultural exchange that transcends borders and generations. As a creative director, Youssouf tells us that he brings his vision of cultural synthesis to life by "looking for the meeting point of our two universes to create something new."

"Synthesis represents the natural assimilation by the sons and daughters of African descent immigrants mixed with the culture and tradition of the country where they settled and grew up; this gives light to a new form of creation, mixing seamlessly heritage and tradition with modernity to design authentically for the diaspora. It is not just about mixing two elements, but it is really a way to create a new natural form of language." Reflecting on founding the UYI, named after his second collaboration with Air Jordan in 2021, Youssouf explains, “What we wanted to do with this collection was to showcase a celebration of youth and the diaspora internationally. For me, as a youth who had a different view of the world and a different idea of how to shape things, I wanted to create a place for others like me to be able to express this, and it was very logical that it took place in the 18th arrondissement in Paris,” a neighborhood that has long been a hub for French-speaking African diaspora as well as some African-American creatives, much like The Bronx.

Recognizing the vast array of African influences that intersect in the 18th, Youssouf creates “a new territory for the next generation to feel at ease in the country that welcomed their parents or those that came before.” And he sees the Olympics, which have always been the ultimate platform for sports, as an opportunity to serve the youth across the city.

Alongside Youssouf, French-American baller, Gabby Williams, a forward in the WNBA’s Seattle Storm and an Olympic Bronze medalist who joined the Jordan brand in 2023, came out to play, debuting the brand’s French Federation kit. Youssouf designed a custom Jordan Brand two-piece suit for Gabby to wear, "inspired by vintage basketball warm-up outfits, synthesized by the silhouette of a suit tailored in the tradition of French know-how." He joined the VisionAir Showcase with UYI members, giving Parisian youth culture a chance to shine on their own terms at the summit. We chatted with them below.

Leni Abdoulaye, 22

Grew up in the 19th arrondissement. Co-founder of streetwear project Outside.

What was the first pair of Jordans you owned?

When I was 12, I put a pair of Jordan 4s in my profile photo on the networks because it was a vibe, I just wanted to, but suddenly all my friends started to roast me because they didn't understand why. [Laughs]

Do you have a favorite Jordan style?

I love the Jordan 3, because I find it really classy, it looks really dressy. You can wear it with everything: jeans, jogging pants, to do anything, out for an evening, it goes everywhere.

Is there an athlete you're rooting for during the games?

Mbappé but hey we’ll see if he’ll be there. I really like his determination. “Don’t talk to me about age” represents his mentality well, there are no excuses.

What does the intersection of sport and culture mean to you?

I feel like sport meets culture outside. Our way of living means that we are always on the move. In France, in the projects we wear tracksuits, because we naturally have a sports mentality.

Marion Gomez, 22
Photographer and Junior Artistic Director

What was the first pair of Jordans you owned?

My first pair of Jordans was a red Jordan 3, although I absolutely wanted a pair of 4s for several years. I thought it was a Jordan 4 model, but after seeing everyone at school and college wearing the Jordan 4 I realized that I had the wrong model, it was ultimately the three but I told myself that it was more authentic and I could have had any Jordan on my foot. The important thing was to have a pair.

Is there an athlete you're rooting for?

No particular athlete, but I have an interest in dance and the fact that break dancing is represented this year at the Olympic Games is very important to me and I want to actively follow this discipline.

How do you think the Olympic Games will impact the city this summer?

The fact that the Olympic Games are taking place in Paris can be an opportunity for the city to be seen from a new perspective. It is an opportunity for the whole world to discover Parisian culture, that is to say a diverse culture, a culture with multiple influences.

Soriba Dambakate, 24
Grew up in the 18th arrondissement. Maison Château Rouge / United Youth International Coordinator

What was the first pair of Jordans you owned?

My first was an Air Jordan 6. My brother worked in a sneaker store in Châtelet and he gave me this pair for the start of 5th grade at college.

Is there an athlete you are rooting for the Olympics this summer?

Victor Wembanyama and Nicolas Batum with the French team!

Do you play basketball?

Yes, I've been playing street basketball since I was 13, playing from time to time with my friends. In high school, there was a basketball court in the playground, and we played during lunch breaks, recess or at the end of classes on a court. During college, I played it with my friends in the square. There is so much access to basketball in Paris also with all the courts like at Square Léon, Stalingrad, Charenton, or Carpentier, etc.

What influence do you think the Olympics this summer can have on Parisian youth?

Today, for me sport is anchored in culture. I think it can encourage more young people to practice sports other than football or basketball, and maybe even participate in the Olympic Games one day. Why not?

Fashion

Dressing the Sixth Annual Pornhub Awards: Briana Andelore on Creating with SEKS

How did you, Will and Abel (the minds behind Seks.llc) meet?

Well, I’ve known about Seks for a really long time just from being in New York and being in the club. They used to be called Seks 5th Avenue a while back. But honestly, I don’t even know how it happened, whether Julia told me or if we just started DMing. I think Julia messaged Abel, then Will and I started DMing and we had a crazy package debacle in LA — because the mail is crazy — so we had a moment and that’s definitely when it all came to life.

What was it like working together to create each of the looks?

It feels like it was meant to happen weirdly enough, because the second that we met there was an instant connection and obsession, I think, for both of us. And this collaboration was almost an evolution of what we've been doing, put to life on all of these girls. So I'm grateful that it did happen because it's just so iconic.

Julia and I have a relationship where we don't have to talk to each other much — we’re kind of telepathic in that way. Abel and I also share this telepathy because sometimes we just read each other's mind and he knows exactly what I want. I don't feel like I've ever found that in a designer. If I show him a couple of pictures or I give him my ideas, it is always executed above and beyond what I ever expected.

Did you create each look with the girl in mind already?

We had the girls in mind, but I also knew that things were going to change because once you meet someone and can feel their energy, you tend to feel differently and are like, Oh this piece works better with you because you have a bubbly energy, or you have a more serious energy, or you have a more fierce energy, or whichever may come into place in the moment. I like to keep things pretty open.

Asa Akira & Queenie Sateen

Was there a narrative arc that brought each of the looks together?

We kind of took inspiration from the venue, [Whisky a Go Go], and individuality within rock and roll culture, this very rebellious, ’I don’t give a fuck’ energy. It’s just whatever it wants to be, not confined to any one thing. Each look was its own personality, looking to recreate the energy of that era in a modern context.

What was it like once you finally saw everyone in their look and the night played out?

The energy was definitely there. It was so electric and it felt like the space was coming alive. Everyone was really partying. Everybody was drinking and enjoying themselves because it was just a night to celebrate, and all of the girls were so amazing and cool and felt good in their outfits. When we were dressing, all of them were like, I love it. You don’t always get that. To make 11 girls feel amazing and happy, feeling their best selves on the carpet and at the party, you know it’s going to be the best night ever.

How hands-on were you in the process?

So, I always work as a team, that’s just how I vibe. Even when Julia and I were doing Franziska Fox, we had our technical designer, and our employees, but we all worked together to build those collections. I feel like working as a team is the best way to do things because that’s when ideas can be thoughtful and full of love. I have my girls now and we all also build all of our looks together. And Abel and I love each other so much, so this is like our love child. We co-created all of it. Abel has all of these technical and amazing ideas, but overall, it showcases things we both appreciate and conceptualized together really.

Natassia Dreams & Ryan Reid

Do you have any memories that come to mind from the months spent working on this project?

There is a story that people don't know about the collection. So Abel actually got really sick earlier this year and had to go into surgery. I got the news of us doing this collaboration a couple days before he went into surgery actually, so we didn't know if we were going to do it. He came out of surgery and it was super hard for him to adjust, as he was in a wheelchair throughout the process of making this collection, but at the same time, it also gave him life and hope. When we were finally finished with the collection, Abel was walking again.

Wow, that gives me goosebumps.

It’s a story that means so much to us and truly a collaboration that is beyond what it came to life as for us internally. Now he’s doing really, really well. He’s basically back to normal now, but this collection — the creativity it gave him — truly healed him. That’s just the power creativity can have.

And community, being surrounded by people that you really connect to and want to work with. Could you see yourself doing similar collaborative projects in the future?

Well, I have a shoe coming out in September so it is something that I’m working on. It’s created, but in sales now. It just takes time to drop. But yeah, I would love to create with Abel again and other emerging designers.

And you also worked with Julia on OMG Fashun which is coming out on E! pretty soon?

Yeah, so I executive produced OMG Fashun, and I styled Julia. The show is so amazing. There are so many talented young designers — and some of it is virtually untapped, similar to Seks when we met and they’ve already come so far. With the show, the world’s going to be able to see all of these incredible designers and they’re going to be able to grow, and that’s my favorite part of it all, meeting all of these talented people and seeing what they do, who they dress next, where the world takes them.

Yeah, totally. And there are so many amazing designers that people have yet to hear about, so that’s exciting.

Yeah, I get to work with a lot of young designers from really everywhere — Paris, Florence, Milan, Amsterdam come to mind — and it’s so great because everywhere, it’s basically caters to their communities. Like here in New York, we have our young designers like Women’s History Month, who have an amazing store where they sells some of their own creations and vintage as well. Then there’s Lucky Jewel, James Valoria, Retail Pharmacy, all of these places that are part of our Downtown community. Retail Pharmacy highlights so many different designers in New York while mixing in pieces from around the world, and similar hubs are popping up all over the place.

Everyone’s also so connected because of social media.

Yeah, the internet is such a great place to tap in. That’s how I talk to a lot of designers. They begin as strangers and then sometimes I get to meet them when I go somewhere in the world, say for Fashion Week. Those moments are just so nice and also just creating this community around the world. I think more people will tap into it, especially with the show coming out, highlighting young designers, sustainability, and buying into that as the cool thing to do. It would be great to develop more with the designers on the show, and others around the world, a place for everybody to go to shop for them.

You should make the new modern day department store, like Retail Pharmacy x100.

Oh my God, that would be my dream. That's like heaven for sure.