08/22/08
Text: Cheyne Nadeau
I had an opportunity to sit down with Agnes B in the courtyard of Hotel Bosnia on August 20, 2008. She sipped some strong Turkish coffee as we got into her obsession with Sarajevo, film, and the numerous projects she is involved in at the moment that we will get to see in the near future.
I know you have been actively involved in the Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF) for many years, can you tell us what draws you to the festival and Sarajevo?
Well that’s because of the war from '94 - '96. I came for the first time in 1996 after the siege. It is only three hours by plane from Paris. I was drawn to this city because of what it had been through and the fact that the festival had started during the siege. I wanted to do something for the city, so I designed the SFF heart logo in 1994, and we were selling these hearts for Sarajevo in all Agnes B. stores worldwide. All the proceeds were going back into the city. Three years ago, Miro (SFF Director) decided to use this heart as the trophy for the competition prizes.
What was your involvement in the film Calle Sante Fe which is screening here at the festival this year?
We are co-producing the film with Carmen Castello who is a great friend of mine. I met with her right after she was wounded by the secret police and this film is a story about her life. Before that she was living in a little house in Calle Santa Fe under fake names with her husband Miguel Enriquez of MIR who lead the resistance against Pinochet’s dictatorship and who was killed in combat by the police. When she had arrived in Paris she had just lost her husband and the baby she was expecting. We became friends because she had suffered so much and in my life, I have always been very close to people suffering, like here [Sarajevo], a city that was also suffering. It is my culture; it is my education; and my religion. I like to care for others. I have to do things for people; I love people I care for people. Designing clothes... you have to like people to do that. I am very happy when I see people wearing my clothes.
Can you tell me a little bit about your relationship with Harmony Korine and your joint film project O’Salvation?
I went to Venice to see Julien Donkey-Boy. The plane was late and I didn’t get to see the movie. I met Harmony in the corridor of Hotel Des Bains. We started talking and became friends soon after. We started the film company together and I have been subtitling Julien Donkey-Boy for its release in France. I like Harmony very much and he spent a year in Paris when he was not very well and we became much closer friends then. He lives in Nashville I need to go there soon to visit.
Moving into fashion for a moment. Any fresh talent that is inspiring you at the moment that you want to share with us?
I am involved in so many other things besides my job. I love to work. We are going to have a young Japanese designer starting to work for Agnes B. in the near future for a small collection. I also just worked with a designer, Lilia from Sarajevo, on one of my collections, Lilia for Anges B. We will be showing next month in Paris for fashion week and after that we will be going to Hong Kong where we are going to open a big restaurant. It will be very beautiful, right on the sea front where the boats come in from Kao-liu. We have three restaurants in Hong Kong and we were chosen as the best foreign restaurant in the city last year. Agnes B. is very successful in China.
Can you give us some insight on your upcoming gallery show in Berlin?
Yes, I am doing a photo show in Berlin at C/O Berlin. I am going to show my own photos along with friend Emanuel Bovet who is an excellent photographer. I have a big photography collection that I am going to put together and this will be the first time my photos will be shown outside of France.
