Next Big Thing: APRIL77 Makes Clothes You Can Listen To (Or Is it Tunes You Wear?) - Stylehive

APRIL77 has been making punk-inspired clothes since 2002, but now the French label has gone a step further - their punky clothes now play punky music! When you buy their skinny Joey jean or Manchester collared shirt with guitar-pick pocket, each has a little tag with a scratch off that reveals a code that gets you a free MP3 single from the latest band on their new label: APRIL77RECORDS. "The inspiration comes from our love of music," explains head of worldwide press Laura Camille Saglio. "Brice Partouche, founder of APRIL77, has been a musician €“ drummer and guitarist €“ since his teens, and the creation of his fashion label was motivated by that in the first place - just to find the clothes he and his friends were looking for. And to look like their idols!"

I interviewed Laura in her Paris office (well she was in Paris - I was in New York) about the new venture.

Stylehive: So how does the whole scratch-off thang work?
Laura: APRIL77RECORDS is above all a music label that releases exclusive tracks from bands we like, only on 7" vinyl records, and on every piece of our clothing line. The code on the 7€� gives you access to the download of its two tracks, while the codes on the clothes vary according to the moment you download them. This way, if you buy several items, you can keep the tags, and use the codes later to get different tracks.

Stylehive: Cool. How did you guys come up with this?
Laura: When we started noticing a new schizophrenia in APRIL77€™s latest collection, a mixture between our €œclassics€� (skinny jeans, motorcycle jackets etc.) and a real will to introduce nicer fabrics and sophisticated cuts and take a mature turn, we reckoned it was time to launch a new line that would both take over our basic fashion models and become our dream music label.

Stylehive: Do you force your artists to wear your clothes? Or do you just strongly suggest they do...
Laura: No one HAS to wear anything! They€™re entitled to some pieces from the collection, if they want.

Stylehive: What makes you and music mogul/clothier Jay-Z different?
Laura: He wears larger jeans?

/// APRIL77 In Stylehive /// APRIL77 /// APRIL77RECORDS ///

Stylehive: So APRIL77 and rock stars have been in cahoots for a few years now. Tell me some of the debauched heathens you have worked with so far.
Laura: APRIL77 has been supporting artists and bands from the start. To give a few names, so far we۪ve collaborated with The Rolling Stones, Moțrhead, Iggy Pop, The Bravery, Slash, Robocop Kraus, Franz Ferdinand, The Horrors, Klaxons, Pete Doherty, Neils Children, Ipso Facto, Buzzcocks, The Kills, Black Lips...

Stylehive: Wow I hate all those bands. Kidding! Any other APRIL77 stuff in the works we should know about?
Laura: Our two first flagship stores just opened in Paris' Marais district. APRIL77 boutique opened at the end of February and APRIL77RECORDS has now a momentary music shop until the end of July. Brice Partouche, who created and has been running APRIL77 since 2002, is the main designer for both labels now. As I said before, Brice is a great musician €“ formerly of the band Rodeo Massacre, which now moved to London, he€™s actually bandless... Any candidates?

Stylehive: I used to play guitar for a band called Dick New York! I'm serious! I'll let you know when I move to Paris! Me and Brice could start Dick Paris!

Click SEE SLIDESHOW for pics of APRIL77's rebel clothes and snot-nosed bands! Click WATCH VIDEO for a video from their first band The Red Hearts.