Are you looking for cool things for kids? Then look out for Couleur., the new clothing brand dedicated to the leaders of tomorrow, founded by Elton Jipi!
Elton Jipi, founder of the brand, Couleur. – Photo credit: @cmichalet on Instagram
This tech specialist has decided to embark on projects that fascinate him, starting with the label, Couleur., whose goal is to “create a world/community that celebrates individuality and diversity, using quality pieces for children.” From his childhood under the wing of “Coach Carter” to his vision for the brand, through the first collection, “I Can Smell Colours”, Elton tells us more about himself, his love for good clothing and his ambitions, all in a Parisian setting, just like the label.
Herbby: How did your affinity for clothing come about?
Elton Jipi: My affinity for good clothing goes back to my father aka “Coach Carter”! (laughs) He came to the parent-teacher meetings in full Jordan outfits: hat, hoodie, baggy trousers, OG 1998 AJ14 “Last Shot” sneakers… By the way, I gave him the ones from 2018 and he said: “But it’s not even suede!” It was him who got me into sneakers, both the style and the culture in general.
On set with Elton Jipi – Photo credit: @cmichalet on Instagram
Q: What color best defines your personality? Why?
EJ: I thought for a long time that it was red and growing up, I realised that it’s actually orange. I’m a very level-headed person but at the same time I have some very impulsive, crazy stuff. I think it’s the energy and passion because there’s like “a flame burning in me.” Hence the choice of the Blood Orange color for the logo for Couleur.
Shooting the first “I Can Smell Colours” collection from Couleur. via @couleur.paris on Instagram
H: You recently launched the brand Couleur., which offers “cool stuff for kids.” Tell us a little about how this project got started: the initial idea, the concept, the name choice…
EJ: The basis of the concept was to offer something for children, which can serve the culture and have an impact. There are already brands everywhere so we didn’t want to launch the umpteenth label that just makes basic stuff. That doesn’t make sense to us. Then me and my best friend had logo ideas a few years ago and we were doing custom pieces, like the one I’m currently wearing. When we were asked where the pieces came from, we said it was our friend’s brand… Fast forward and I started thinking about gift ideas for my niece. I looked at her and that’s when it all made sense! I said to myself that this was really a project where I coul let loose, and get 100% stuck in and be happy.
As for the name, “Couleur.” represents the brand’s influence. The goal is to get together and create a community of kids who can find themselves in a culture, with tastes and colors different to what’s available right now. We really want to make sure that children and adults can identify with our products: Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, brands like Nike, the music we listen to, strong images, activities that represent us etc.
Packaging for hoodies from the first “I Can Smell Colours” collection by Couleur. – Photo credit: @cmichalet on Instagram
H: Why is it important for you to focus on tomorrow’s leaders?
EJ: I think it comes back to the first question and the culture transmitted by my father. I’m the product of this process. So today, with my team, we believe we have this duty to transmit the things that we’re passionate about. And, above all, we have to do it for children, and from a very young age. Of course our goal is to do more than clothes: we’d like to offer activities, make partnerships with recreation centers, host creative workshops… that way, the kids discover and spark passions as soon as possible.
That’s why during the pop-up for our first collection, we printed sheets that covered the displays for the event, so they could be colored in with colored pencils. We really want to get children away from phones, tablets, etc., in order to stimulate their curiosity and creativity.
Also, if we think about it, the “types of people” who should be able to dress comfortably as a priority, and get clothes at affordable prices, are children and seniors. Unfortunately, parents who want to buy cool clothes for their children have to pay at least 3 figures. That’s not the Couleur. stance at all. We offer premium pieces at prices that we believe are reasonable and affordable.
Shooting the first “I Can Smell Colours” collection from Couleur. via @couleur.paris on Instagram
H: You introduced the label with the “I Can Smell Colours” capsule collection and a pop-up event in Paris. Can you tell us about this launch collection? How did the event go?
EJ: It was important for us to present the label experience through the first collection and to organize an authentic event, in a place that was like us.
The concept of the pop-up was “A Couleur. Snack”, in the photo studio of a friend, with food by Crispy and dropping our first collection at 4:30 pm, in a nod to elementary school! This is really what we want to do for each event: dive back into our childhood memories and highlight things like Wednesday afternoons in front of the TV watching cartoons, Minikeums, Club Dorothée…
So the event went really well, my family was there, my friends, people I didn’t know but who were drawn to the pop-up. The atmosphere was really good and best of all, we got a lot of feedback on the brand and the first collection. We quickly realized that we were right, that there’s a real lack of diversity of offers in Kidswear and that Couleur. is there to meet this need for children, parents and adults in general!
Air Flight Huarache OG worn by me and AJ1 Retro High “Lost & Found” worn by Elton – Photo credit: @cmichalet on Instagram
H: What’s your vision for the brand?
EJ: The vision is to offer things that will spark passions in children very early on through our clothes, our shoots, our events, our collaborations… All of this is based on transmission. We make sure to be inspired and share things from our childhood that made their mark on us, like the packaging of hoodies that look like cereal boxes! On the back, we put a game of labyrinth and the 4 types of hoodies, referencing the old Jordan retro cards that showed all the different types! Of course we already have many ideas for future launches and the more we grow, the further we’ll go in transmitting the key elements of our childhood.
Shooting the first “I Can Smell Colours” collection from Couleur. via @couleur.paris on Instagram
H: What can we expect from Couleur. in the coming months?
EJ: We’re going to launch new products, with a wider offer: there’ll be t-shirts, more caps, cargo pants, sweatpants and socks. For the start of the school year, we may offer erasers, triangles or bags! Then, we’d really like to work with brands that resonate with us but also associations, so we can give to the kids and add a social dimension. In terms of events, we’d like to launch our annual festival with games, prizes to be won, a raffle, food, a DJ… All this would be firmly rooted in culture and always with a view to bringing people together. And finally, in the long term, we plan to develop internationally and organize pop-ups, especially in London and Miami since I lived there, but also elsewhere!
On set with Elton Jipi, Founder of the brand, Couleur. – Photo credit: @cmichalet on Instagram
