Avant-garde Sportswear (Poetic Versions)
When thinking about sportswear or any kind of performance clothing - there’s always a focus on features: fabrics, mobility, durability, wearability, care. These are the practical considerations that define function and form the basis of how garments are understood.
Avant-garde sportswear is a term we use at BrunsClifford to describe our own approach. It is this idea of taking from familiar archetypes (track jackets, tracksuits, mountaineering wear and other base garments) subverting the fabrics and the functions to suit the everyday. For us, this is the avant-garde: removing the item so far from its original ‘performance function’ that it becomes something entirely new, while retaining the same intent in form, movement, aesthetic and feel.
With this in mind, we began to explore an alternative - an avant-garde way of communicating a garment’s features and benefits. Poetry, words chosen carefully; evoking feeling just by being heard.
We were fortunate enough to collaborate with French writer Soleyne Joubert for the 'spoken word' function on our e-commerce site. Soleyne's work captures that delicate balance of function and emotion.
We also had the pleasure of interviewing her after the project with a few questions.
Hi Soleyne. Could you please introduce yourself and tell us a little about your professional background?
I’m a French writer and communication consultant. I began my career within major media groups such as Le Figaro and News Corp, where I learned the power of words, how they can inform, move, and shape perception. Over the years, I’ve worked independently, supporting creators, artists, publishing houses in finding their own narrative voices. Writing has always been at the heart of everything I do, whether for a brand or for a novel. I see communication as a form of storytelling: translating an essence into language, turning emotion into form. My work is guided by this idea that words, like fabric, can be both functional and poetic, they protect, reveal, and connect.
When being approached to collaborate on this project what were your initial thoughts and feelings? Have you ever done something like this before?
When BrunsClifford reached out, I felt instantly intrigued by the idea of giving a voice (quite literally) to garments. It was not about describing clothes, but about translating what they make us feel. I had never worked on fashion in this way before, but I was deeply drawn to the poetic potential of the task. I saw it as a dialogue between matter and emotion, between skin and words.
When you began researching BrunsClifford, did you understand what the brandvision was and was there anything that stood out to you?
What struck me first was the deep sensitivity of its creator. Through his words, his moodboards, and the atmosphere surrounding the project, I felt an intimate and introspective journey, something profoundly human and emotional. There was a quiet intensity, a poetic sincerity that immediately resonated with me. I sensed a vision that went beyond fashion, a search for meaning, for essence, for presence. It touched me, and I felt instinctively close to that sensibility.
We loved everything you came up with, what was your process and did you experience any hurdles?
I began by observing the pieces, their lines, their weight, their rhythm. I wanted each text to capture a specific emotion, a pulse, an atmosphere. I would spend time imagining who might wear each garment, what kind of world they would inhabit. From there, the words came almost like whispers. The challenge was to remain light, to evoke without explaining, to suggest without describing. Each poem had to breathe on its own, and still resonate with the spirit of the collection.
In conclusion, what was your reaction to the project's outcome?
What moved me most was witnessing how different art forms could merge in service of emotion. The garments, the imagery, the sound, and the spoken word, each had its own language, yet together they created something greater, something almost immersive. Hearing my voice interwoven with the visual universe of BrunsClifford felt like adding another layer of texture, another way of feeling. I loved how the final result blurred the boundaries between poetry, fashion, and sound. It was exactly what I had hoped for: a sensory conversation rather than a description.
How important do you think it is for contemporary brands to build with their local makers and materials?
I think it’s essential, not only from an ethical or ecological standpoint, but from an artistic one. Working locally creates proximity: between hands, ideas, and intentions. It anchors creation in a tangible reality, giving each object a soul. When a garment carries traces of the people and places that shaped it, it becomes more than clothing,it becomes a story.
Thank you Soleyne xx
soleynejoubert.com/
