DECATHLON X LOÏC LUSNIA: OUR NEW COLLECTION

Discover our new clothing and skateboard collection in collaboration with artist Loïc Lusnia and surf brand Olaian.

Por Decathlon Skateboarding

31 de May de 2023

DECATHLON X LOÏC LUSNIA: OUR NEW COLLECTION

An interview with Loïc:

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Loïc Lusnia, and I'm a 30-year-old French artist based in Metz.

Tell us about your journey. How did you become an artist?

Like many artists of my generation, I got started by drawing Dragon Ball Z characters. There were so many people who went through that; it was almost like a mystical rite of passage. Then there was the Cartoon Network phase, with its series of incredible cartoons that I watched on repeat. Then came skateboarding, and I was obsessed with the artwork of Michael Sieben, Ed Templeton, or Todd Bratrud. These guys made a living from their two passions – skateboarding and art. I discovered that when I was 15 years old, and I never stopped wanting to follow in their footsteps. It looked like a lot of fun. From then on, I really focused on it until I went to art school after high school, and six years later, I graduated. I've always been lucky, everything has worked out well for me, and today I’m doing what I've always wanted to do.

Are you fond of skateboarding/surfing?

Of course, that's where my passion for art, music, and fashion comes from. It's all so interconnected.

I truly think that without skateboarding, I wouldn't be where I am today. I started skateboarding when I was seven years old, and it's been a big part of my lie. I always had magazines like Sugar, Thrasher, Freestyler, or Chill on my bedside table. My teenage years were marked by skateboarding, and it’s given me so much. It's a social network where I found new friends, an identity, and now a career. Thank you, skateboarding (even though you also destroyed my ankles). This is also true for surfing, but to a lesser extent, as I

reside in Metz, which is 900 km away from most spots. We can thank it too because that’s where skateboarding originated. Thank you, surfing!

How do you typically work? What inspires you on a day-to-day basis?

I usually start by making a list of all the components of my graphic language. Then, I combine these elements in sketches to see what works best until an interesting idea or concept comes to mind. My method is inspired by tattooing – I do a lot of flash drawings (small individual drawings that I combine), which gives me some flexibility when it comes to the composition and themes of a single piece of art.

As an artist, how did you approach this collaboration?

I first looked for an angle that would tell a story, so that the collaboration would make sense, and that surfing, skateboarding, and my graphic design background would coexist harmoniously. I had been drawing a lot of animal and skeleton art at the time, so the idea of starting with nature reclaiming its space came to mind pretty quickly. I felt it was a pretty solid narrative with a very relevant environmental message. My work conveys a rather pessimistic outlook for mankind but a very optimistic one for the rest of the fauna and flora. Given that skateboarding and surfing spots are inextricably linked to these eco conscious practices, it was a no-brainer – they were going to return to nature after the apocalypse so that the animals could finally have the fun they deserve.

Thanks, Loïc, for taking the time to do this interview! Check out his other work on his Instagram account!

A COLLABORATION THAT TRANSCENDS SPORT:

There isn’t much that separates surfing and skating! Additionally, their long-standing relationship makes this collaboration a given.

And yes! For those of you who didn't know, surfers invented the skateboard so that they could keep riding when the waters were too rough.

A LOOK AT OUR SKATE PRODUCTS:

For this series, we gave Loïc Lusnia free rein to let his imagination run wild. The outcome? Our DK500 board available in 3 sizes – 8", 8.25" and 8.5 – and in 3 crazy colors.

Remember, our DK500 boards are made from 100% Canadian FSC maple sourced from sustainably managed forests.

A CLOTHING LINE – A FIRST FOR US

Because skateboarding and style go hand-in-hand, we are proud to present the first Decathlon Skateboarding apparel collection!

We have a hoodie, a t-shirt, and a new exclusive colorway of the Vulca 500 V2 slip-on. To reduce the environmental impact of our products, we strive to make as many of our products as we can from recycled materials. For the first eco-design certified collection, our t-shirt and hoodie are made of 30% and 28% recycled cotton, respectively, and our slip-ons are still made from recycled canvas.

In order to offer clothing that withstands multiple washes and everyday use, the t-shirt is made of a thick 220 GSM cotton, and the hoodie is made of a 370 GSM cotton. And the hoodie also has a microfiber lining fabric to absorb sweat after your hottest sessions!