Roots of reimagination

For Philéo Landowski, creativity knows no boundaries. From sculpting spaces to crafting footwear, he navigates a world where art and architecture collide. With installations that breathe life into urban environments and a passion for raw materials, PHILEO’s work speaks to a deeper, evolving vision. Here, he opens up about his collaborative ethos, his ties to Paris’s art scene, and the philosophies shaping his bold, cross-disciplinary creations.

hube: Your recent collaboration with Tadashi Kawamata at Dover Street Market Paris brought together organic materials, architectural structures, and footwear. What was your creative process in merging art and fashion, especially with such distinct mediums?  

Philéo Landowski: For years, I wanted to make a bridge between my passion for contemporary art and my design practice. When I first had the idea of an installation in the DSMP courtyard, Tadashi was the first name that came to my mind, as my studio was in the 6th. I often wondered about Mennour’s galleries and am very familiar with his work.

h: In Avalanche, you worked with both recycled elements and artisanal craftsmanship. How do sustainability and heritage influence your work, and what role do they play in shaping your vision for the future of design?  

PL: Sustainability is a word that’s been perverted for years now. At the core of my practice and as a base for anything we create is the idea of making good products that last and that are made in an intelligent and efficient way. We prioritise local sourcing, organic, recyclable and recycled materials, we only work with fully traceable components and materials. It’s part of our process. It’s kind of a constant work in progress; we’re doing our best, and we hope that people understand it.

h: You’ve collaborated with Adidas on reimagining the Superstar sneaker. What drew you to this iconic piece, and how did you balance the brand’s heritage with your architectural and artistic sensibilities?  

PL: When Adidas proposed the Superstar, I loved the idea of painting on a classic; it’s like doing a techno remix of Mozart (all things considered). We have plenty of things to explore with Adidas, but I think, for a first, the Superstar was a great choice.

h: The installation at Dover Street Market reinterpreted both space and form. How do you approach creating site-specific works, especially when collaborating with brands known for their commercial appeal? 

PL: The idea was really to give Kawamata-san carte blanche. In this kind of collaboration, my role is to curate the artwork, give the constraints and then limit all interference from third parties so the artist remains as free as possible. I think what makes this kind of installation super interesting is that it’s really coming out of the artist; it’s a genuine artwork and not a commercial, and that’s why it makes sense for all parties involved.

h: Your collaboration with Mennour Gallery ties back to your personal connection with Paris. How does your relationship with the city, and its art scene, inform the way you approach your large-scale projects and installations?  

PL: Paris is a city that gathers all kinds of creation, and being able to get inspired by just getting out is incredible. A lot of artists also live in Paris, which creates relationships that can eventually become projects with some of them. All of these projects are always born from a mutual desire to create something beautiful and impactful. If I wasn’t living in Paris, none of these projects would have existed.

h: Working across multiple disciplines – sculpture, fashion, architecture – can be challenging. What are some of the unique technical or conceptual challenges you’ve faced in your recent projects, and how do you overcome them?  

PL: All these disciplines have some principles that can be applied to one another. I don’t envision this diversity of inspiration as a challenge but as a way to escape the box, we often find ourselves in when we do the same thing over and over.

h: Your architectural approach to footwear design is quite distinctive. How do you see this evolving, especially as you continue to merge traditional craftsmanship with experimental materials like those used in  Avalanche?

PL: I really want to push the artisanal feeling and the textural aspect that you get in my shoes even more in the upcoming seasons. I see this brand as an evolving creature; it morphs and changes volume, texture, and aspect over time because it reflects who I am and the diversity of what I like. I think that when you see the shoes I designed over time, you can understand some of the core principles I impose on myself, and that creates a sort of disuniformity that I enjoy (a lot).

h: You’ve worked with recycled and organic elements in your recent projects. What role do you think these materials play in shaping the future of both art and fashion and how important is sustainability in your creative vision?  

PL: It is essential to consider that our world is changing and that humanity is the main if not only, cause of that. Our generation has the duty of changing the course and making amends to Mother Earth. Materials are a huge part of our design process, and we’re trying to blend innovative recycled materials and traditional organic materials to fuel innovation while making sure the durability of our products is on point. We are truly convinced that we have to incorporate responsibility towards the environment in our day-to-day design process, and that’s what we’ve been doing since day one.

h: Looking ahead, are there any mediums or fields that you haven’t yet explored but are eager to dive into, either within fashion, sculpture or perhaps even entirely new domains?  
PL: I’m definitely interested in diving more and more into the art; the performance we did with Pascal Hachem at POUSH makes me more interested in movement and dance, and it might be something I’d want to explore more in the future, but globally I don’t know yet, and I think I don’t want to know.