Franc Fernandez
Encyclopedia
Franc Fernandez is a Los Angeles, California
-based Argentine
artist and fashion designer. His most well-known work is the meat dress of Lady Gaga
.
and lived there until age eight. His family then moved to the outskirts of L.A. During high school he attended Art Center College of Design
, but dropped out. He also attended architecture and art school, but dropped out of both. He also apprenticed for a milliner in London
. Says Fernandez, "For the most part I’m self-trained. I’m not very good in institutions. I can sort of weed out what I like/dislike, need/not need."
, his career began to take off.
Fernandez has worked with many contemporary musical artists, including Lady Gaga
, Sam Sparro
, Scissor Sisters
and Beyoncé Knowles
. He did the styling for Scissor Sisters' UK arena tour. He also directed the music video for Sam Sparro's "Pink Cloud", using influence from technology and the internet to produce a video best viewed on an iPhone
, mimicking the device's scrolling and swiping motions.
" music video and the outfits she has worn to awards shows and on tour.
In 2010 he was approached by Gaga's stylist Nicola Formichetti about creating a dress made of cuts of raw beef for the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards
. Fernandez agreed, and went to his local butcher and asked what the best cut of meat would be for such a project, and the butcher told him flank steak
. Fernandez purchased 40 pounds. He and a collaborative assistant made up the design as they went along, seeing which cuts would best fit which areas, as "there is not much plan [sic] you can do with such an organic material." The dress took two days to complete, and Gaga had to be stitched into it backstage.
The reaction to the dress was mixed, earning ire from animal rights
groups such as PETA
, and attempts to analyze it from various media outlets. Fernandez stated "I wasn't surprised at the response. I think everyone involved knew the response that the meat dress was going to get. I think what I was more surprised and excited by was how much the internet and technology played a part in that. I got tons of hate-mail, love-mail, and "meat dress" was a top Twitter topic
for three days straight." Fernandez was pleased with the reception of the dress, saying "I feel like I have a voice now as an artist and as a designer," and that it gave him a larger audience.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
-based Argentine
Argentine people
Argentines are the citizens of Argentina, or their descendants abroad. Argentina is a multiethnic society, which means that it is home to people of many different ethnic backgrounds. According to the , Argentina had a population of 36,260,130 inhabitants, of which 1,527,320, or 4.2%, were born...
artist and fashion designer. His most well-known work is the meat dress of Lady Gaga
Meat dress of Lady Gaga
American pop singer Lady Gaga wore a dress made of raw beef, which was commonly referred to by the media as the meat dress, to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. Designed by Franc Fernandez and styled by Nicola Formichetti, the dress was condemned by animal rights groups and named by Time as the top...
.
Early life and education
Fernandez was born in ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and lived there until age eight. His family then moved to the outskirts of L.A. During high school he attended Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design is a private college located in Pasadena, California, and was cited by BusinessWeek as one of the 60 best design schools in the world. The college’s industrial design program is consistently ranked number one by both DesignIntelligence and U.S...
, but dropped out. He also attended architecture and art school, but dropped out of both. He also apprenticed for a milliner in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Says Fernandez, "For the most part I’m self-trained. I’m not very good in institutions. I can sort of weed out what I like/dislike, need/not need."
Career
Fernandez started experimenting with clothing in high school, combining shirts and sweaters and stitching their labels on the outside. It was his hats that garnered him attention, and he began to receive requests from stylists for custom pieces. Once he was contacted by Nicola FormichettiNicola Formichetti
Nicola Formichetti is an internationally prolific fashion director and fashion editor of mixed Italian and Japanese heritage. He is most widely known as the new creative director for the French fashion house MUGLER, and for being a frequent collaborator with singer-songwriter and performance...
, his career began to take off.
Fernandez has worked with many contemporary musical artists, including Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
, Sam Sparro
Sam Sparro
Sam Sparro is an Australian singer-songwriter, music producer, and former child actor. His stage name was derived from a family nickname, which in turn was inspired by the Dagenham radio mascot Sammy Sparrow...
, Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters are an American band "spawned by the scuzzy, gay nightlife scene of New York" who took their name from a sexual position between two women also known as tribadism...
and Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
. He did the styling for Scissor Sisters' UK arena tour. He also directed the music video for Sam Sparro's "Pink Cloud", using influence from technology and the internet to produce a video best viewed on an iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
, mimicking the device's scrolling and swiping motions.
Work with Lady Gaga
Fernandez has worked with Lady Gaga on several projects, including the design of the "diamond crown" outfit for her "Bad RomanceBad Romance
"Bad Romance" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga. It was released as the lead single from her third extended play , and second major release The Fame Monster . Written by Lady Gaga and produced by RedOne, the track was inspired by Gaga's fear of negative love relationships and the...
" music video and the outfits she has worn to awards shows and on tour.
In 2010 he was approached by Gaga's stylist Nicola Formichetti about creating a dress made of cuts of raw beef for the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards
2010 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 12, 2010 at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, honoring the best music videos from the previous year...
. Fernandez agreed, and went to his local butcher and asked what the best cut of meat would be for such a project, and the butcher told him flank steak
Flank steak
The flank steak, also known as bavette, is a beef steak cut from the abdominal muscles of the cow. A relatively long and flat cut of meat, flank steak is used in a variety of dishes including London broil and fajitas...
. Fernandez purchased 40 pounds. He and a collaborative assistant made up the design as they went along, seeing which cuts would best fit which areas, as "there is not much plan [sic] you can do with such an organic material." The dress took two days to complete, and Gaga had to be stitched into it backstage.
The reaction to the dress was mixed, earning ire from animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
groups such as PETA
Peta
Peta can refer to:* peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 1015* Peta, Greece, a town in Greece* Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism* Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model* Peta Todd, English glamour model...
, and attempts to analyze it from various media outlets. Fernandez stated "I wasn't surprised at the response. I think everyone involved knew the response that the meat dress was going to get. I think what I was more surprised and excited by was how much the internet and technology played a part in that. I got tons of hate-mail, love-mail, and "meat dress" was a top Twitter topic
Trending topic
A trending topic is a word, phrase or topic that is posted multiple times on the social networking and microblogging service Twitter. Trending topics become popular either through a concerted effort by users or because of an event that prompts people to talk about one specific topic...
for three days straight." Fernandez was pleased with the reception of the dress, saying "I feel like I have a voice now as an artist and as a designer," and that it gave him a larger audience.