INTERVIEW: COURTNEY MC
The multifaceted designer and artist Courtney talks leaving Givenchy to go solo, working with Octavian and recent Shanghai exhibition at J.O.Y. Studio.
We caught up with the artist to learn more about her recent projects in art and fashion, and how she walks the line between both worlds /
In harmony or friction, fashion, music and art coexist in the ever-evolving creative landscape. They play pivotal roles in paving inspiration for another. For former Givenchy designer and artists Courtney MC, this symbiotic relationship is in the centre of her work.
Known for her bold, yet twisted artworks, Courtney MC’s visual aesthetic has been described by her musical collaborator, Octavian, as “the sinful side of fun”. After graduating from the Royal College of Art in 2010, MC spent the first 10 years of her career in the luxury fashion industry working at Givenchy under Riccardo Tisci and Clare Waight Keller as Design Director for Print. This honed her expertise in turning ideas into commodity, but didn't satisfy her creative appetite.
Leaving Givenchy in 2019, her independent venture into the contemporary art world has been met with international interest. MC showed "DEMONIZE" at Shanghai's J.O.Y. Studio ran by Pan-Asian music collective Yeti Out, while in Paris Fashion Week, she exhibited her artwork for Octavian's ‘ENDORPHINS' project with a live performances by Octavian himself as well as Skepta and ABRA, and was live broadcast by Boiler Room.
Drawing inspiration from her personal battles with life and demons, MC personifies these issues in the form of strong and dynamic female characters interacting with various forms of perceived evil. But the resounding visual message is one of colours and a joyful provocation - a world somewhere between light and dark, where both shades are happily embraced.
How did the visual ideas to "ENDORPHINS" first develop?
Endorphins are natural hormones: powerful, with euphoric effects. So the visual, in my mind, was centred around being high and experiencing intense and complex pleasures. I think we all can relate in someway to the visual because it taps into our darkness and desires.
Creatively speaking, what could you do now as an artist that you couldn't do as a fashion designer for a luxury brand?
Be myself without having to think about anyone else's theme and/or ideologies, or worrying about retail demands and customer expectations. In other words, listening to bollocks about "what people want". People don't know what they want until you give it to them. I also don't have to worry about alienating a certain client, or offending anyone. It's just so boring once you have to factor all that into a product.
“we are just giving some accessibility to kids who like our visual world”
What are the core themes behind 'DEMONIZE'?
I felt pushed to express the concept of Demonize because I felt a resistance to my energy and aesthetic as a woman working in an industry run by old rich white men. I just knew I was never going to be propelled to my full potential because I didn't conform to the rules of a woman in power. I was never going to allow myself to be nicely packaged into an image of a powerful woman that men felt comfortable working with. I think my energy felt threatening. And my femininity was "not feminine enough." Our beauty and vivacity is what gives us so much power and this is a trait demonized by men since the beginning of time.
What were the biggest career/life lessons learnt working for Givenchy and with Riccardo Tisci?
Strength, perseverance, resilience. Riccardo taught me a lot about art and communication, and about having a strong vision.
Do you think social media changes how art and fashion is consumed?
Yes for sure, and it's led to an over-dependence on hype to sell products. Which is definitely making people a little bit nauseous.
What could you apply to your own solo artist career from stints working on projects such as Kanye and Jay-Z's 'Watch the Throne' tour?
Well 'Watch The Throne' was Riccardo Tisci's collaboration with Kanye, and I was lucky enough to help on the execution of his vision.
But it opened my mind to the concept of creating visuals for musicians and how powerful that is as a format for projecting your aesthetic to a large global audience. Music resonates with you in a way like nothing else does.
Can you explain a bit about the alter-egos of Rocko & Riot?
I can't speak for Rocko, he belongs to Octavian.
Riot is me at my most powerful, my most self-aware, and she has encouraged me to grow in ways no one else has.
With Octavian as a musician and yourself as a designer & artist, where is Rock & Riot positioned in the fashion landscape?
It's not positioned anywhere. We don't really care about becoming a fashion label. We are just giving some accessibility to kids who like our visual world, because it felt necessary to connect on that level at that moment.
What's the plan for Rocko & Riot? Will we expect seasonal drops that meet with the fashion calendar?
No plans. Everything is spontaneous and limited edition. We don't know when we will do another pop-up.
