Monsieur-T’s Lucie Germser & Tilmann Wrobel on Looking Back, Forging Ahead
The denim world is one flush with creativity, art and acceptance, and the Monsieur-T creative duo, Lucie Germser and Tilmann Wrobel, wouldn’t have it any other way.
Germser (head of communication and design at the international design studio) and Wrobel (its creative director) chatted with Carved in Blue about first impressions, lifelong ambitions and new beginnings.
Carved in Blue: What was your first impression of the denim business when you were younger?
Lucie: Honestly, the first time I entered a trade show, 11 years ago, I had an impression of a mysterious world, ruled by old gurus, mostly men, searching for the perfect “vintage denim” duplicata. I was impressed. I felt like I was in the wrong place, like there was no place for innovation, creation or unexpected trends. That we all had to be dressed the same vintage way. The main mood was far from the denim image we had in the advertisements.
It has taken many years before meeting the right people, realizing that I was in the right place and that I could be able to bring an interesting contribution to this very unique denim world.
Tilmann: My first impressions were in the mid-1990s when I joined the famous French denim brand Chipie, where I designed with denim godfathers such as Jean Elbaz, Christian Audigier and Jean-Michel Signoles. And back in the day it was quite impressive to see this “rock n’ roll” gang arriving in Bentleys at presentations. Those days are gone. Today’s denim business is totally different.
Carved in Blue: How did you meet and start working together in denim?
Lucie: Tilmann and I met in Biarritz, southwest of France, 12 years ago. Tilmann had just launched his denim studio. I was working as artistic director specializing in outdoor magazines (ski, surf, skate magazines).
We were complementary and both creative, so we decided to work together. We moved from Biarritz to Paris, and that was the right decision to make because that’s how it really began. Since that day, we’ve met a lot of interesting people, clients and partners.
Tilmann: We met in 2008, soon got married, and Lucie joined me in my design studio.
Carved in Blue: Did you always want to go into the denim business?
Lucie: I have a very strong musical background, as my whole family is composed of professional musicians. I studied cello for 15 years at the conservatory, I also learned to play guitar at the playground of my college, with my friends. At 16, I started studying graphic design at school and high school. I decided to focus on graphic design because I was good, but I never gave up music.
When I had my two kids, I had no more time for playing. I had the dream to work with the music industry, but I never had time to develop this part of business because we had too much work with denim—which is a very good thing.
Today, due to changes in my personal life, I have more time for myself, and I’m going back to my first love: I write and play music again. I’m so happy about it; I feel like I’m back to my real self now.
Tilmann: I started actually in the proper “Haute Couture” in the 1980s and designed dresses for princesses. Then after, being a skateboarder, I designed streetwear for brands like Homeboy and Etnies in the pioneer days before slipping into the denim business.
Carved in Blue: Do you want your children to follow in your footsteps?
Lucie: Will they work in denim? I don’t know. But for sure they are already super creative. Romeo (11) wants to be an architect like his older sister, and Heidi (8) really wants to be a Top Chef.
They are also listening a lot to music. I make special playlists for them in order to give them a real musical education. It’s vast on purpose. It goes from Metallica, Rage Against the Machine and The Darkness, to Cat Stevens, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Pink Floyd, Elvis Presley, Ryuichi Sakamoto and some classical music. I’m also happy to show them a lot of cool and cult movies.
Tilmann: My oldest daughter is studying architecture, and who knows about the younger ones. Why not? But it should come from their side.
Carved in Blue: When did you realize you were a blueblood?
Lucie: I’m not sure if I’m blue-blooded. Of course, I love denim, and the more I know about it, the more I want to discover new things about it and want to meet more amazing people in this industry. But I also love many other areas. I’m super curious of everything. So, I would say I’m more rainbow-blooded!
I would say that I’ve felt part of the denim family since the day we first exhibited at Bluezone, in Munich. It was the first time I felt at home. For me, that’s where and when it all started. Before, it was just a job. Since Bluezone, I’m part of a huge family (organizers, but also visitors and exhibitors). Now I feel like there is a place for me, that I can really add something creative to our denim world.
Tilmann: In the late 1980s when designing my first jeans for streetwear brands, I fell in love with the rigidity of the fabric, its somehow “masculine” touch (compared to my princess dress experience). While it doesn’t have to do with Carved in Blue, I always say that working with denim is a bit like sculpting wood. That’s what I like about it. Plus, the indigo pigment that changes and oxidizes—I love it!
Carved in Blue: What is the best advice you’ve gotten from each other?
Lucie: To think twice before moving forward. To have more patience.
Tilmann: To always smile!
Carved in Blue: What do you think is ahead for the denim industry in the future?
Lucie: We need to find solutions with environmental issues. So, either we relaunch our local small businesses and small factories, or we will all end in uniforms, wearing the same clothes with simple designs that are quality made. I don’t see other options.
I know it’s not funny at all, but we can’t go on with the production of too many garments that don’t last. The trends are always changing. The quality is mainly poor, and most of the time it ends in bins. It’s not a future for me.
Tilmann: Denim used to be workwear, almost a utility fabric with meaning. I think that is where we have to invent its future.
What does Carved in Blue mean to you?
Lucie: It means that we all have a place for creation, in our own way and even better if we work all together. And it also means that we are all responsible for the future of denim. We have to work with our heart (love and respect each other) and with our mind (finding concrete solutions).
Tilmann: A fantastic source of information and inspiration!