A few years ago I was walking at la Roma, in Mexico City and I came across a tiny concept store with the name HUA-HUA and found Yvan Rodic‘s book “Facehunter“. I love cool hunting and pictures that reflect how different people live fashion through their own very unique style. I reviewed his book in my book club Fries Before Guys during quarantine last year, and contacted Yvan to know more about his books and latest projects. Quoting Yvan in his book Facehunter: “everyone is becoming their own-micro-state, their own style curator and finally, truly themselves. Trends are dead baby! Nietzche’s exhortation “Become what you are, is now our reality.”
Today I interviewed Yvan, in a very fun zoom session! He is currently in Rio, Brasil and I am currently in Mexico City. Yvan, when did you started with “Facehunter” as a project? In 2006 I was living in Paris and was I was inspired by the city. I thought I had a chance to live in this city and document it. I was working as a copywriter in advertising. As I was experiencing many new things in the city, I wanted to share it with other people. I started to write articles about new social phenomenons for magazines and take pictures of inspiring strangers. Eventually I decided to post these images on a blogpost in February 2006. Where it will lead me to meet interesting people many countries, I didn’t expect it! It was surprise! I captured faces, more style, expressions, it was not really about fashion, more about style. How people express themselves! In one year I started to travel for business and work with different brands and magazines, finding more style and urban culture. And captured Storytelling of people I met and their identity, places, culture. The journey evolved a lot in the past 14 years.
What do you mean in your book Facehunter about the “New Creole Culture” phenomenon? Mixing different kinds of culture, post modern mix the id of generation is not limited to where you live. Thanx to internet people can connect with music, style, food culture different style and Identity. Internet culture gave us freedom to decide who we want to be. As Japanese, African culture, mixed new style , culture never was possible to that extent before.
What moved you to search for unique street style and fashion through different countries? Curiosity, this idea that there is a lot of mainstream culture around, we need to be inspired by stories and styles. I get inspired, by a different approach mindset not a generated mainstream combo , you decide your own thing. Not a big mainstream machine. Go by your own way!
Is there a common denominator in the way people dress now across the world? yes, people dress differently in every part of the world, the different mindset is that some people copy trends, there is this idea. I want to create my own mix, different back ground and culture this is the idea.. that i’m not just a Russian, Mexican, etc. I create my own combo! It can be expressed in so many different ways.
How many countries have you visited? 150
Which culture and fashion has impacted you the most, and why? I’m Inspired by the style in Brasil. There is a lot of interesting syncretism reference, style is the translation of culture. Africa, Indigenous, European, a bit of everything. Also in my first years I was inspired in London.
If you could describe your own style in 3 words what would they be? Colorful, eclectic, and fun!
Are you planing to come to Mexico soon? I love Mexico, is one of my favorite places in the world, I have friends and is a rich country full of stories, the experience is incredible. I miss Clamatos and I prefer mezcal over tequila!
Yvan told me he is planning a documentary, probably it will be finished by the end of the year and Mexico is included in a list of country he will hopefuly be visiting.