Carri Munden is an English fashion designer. Born as Carri Munden, she is credited as Carri Mundane and CassettePlaya, her fashion label. She currently works as a stylist and creative director and lives in London.
Career
Carri as cassette playa has presented her work four times at
Fashion East MAN, an initiative for new menswear as part of
London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week (LFW) is a clothing trade show that takes place in London twice a year, in February and September. Showcasing over 250 designers to a global audience of influential media and retailers, it is one of the 'Big Four' fashion wee ...
, and also showcased her work in a
Pitti Immagine Pitti Immagine is a collection of fashion industry events in Italy.
Pitti Immagine Uomo
Pitti Uomo (in English, "Pitti Men"), is one of the world's most important platforms for men's clothing and accessory collections, and for launching new projec ...
sponsored exhibition as part of the
Milan Fashion Week
Milan Fashion Week ( it, Settimana della moda) is a clothing trade show held semi-annually in Milan, Italy. The autumn/winter event is held in February/March of each year, and the spring/summer event is held in September/October of each year. It ...
. Her first MAN showcase was a film installation (MAN Fall/Winter 2006/07), then a show "L.S.I" for Spring/Summer 2007, followed by a film shown on the runway and then her "Future Primitive" show for Spring/Summer 2008.
Carri has collaborated with
Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
on designs on 3 occasions. In collaboration with
Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
, a Cassette Playa Nike Blazer Premium shoe was exclusively created and featured in her Spring/Summer 2008 show. It was then released in selected international stores in late 2008. 2009 saw the release of both a capsule collection of clothing - "Nike x Cassette Playa Rivalry Collection" and a cassette playa Nike Dunk shoe.
In addition to her line, Munden has worked as a
stylist for
music videos
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
and
tours
Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the prefecture of the department of Indre-et-Loire. The commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabitants as of 2018 while the population of the whole metro ...
. She says of those she works with, "We have the same references... I translate their sound into clothes."
She met artist and friend
Mathangi Arulpragasam while the latter was looking to include a subject in one of her
films; she describes the two as "the only weirdos in west London" at the time.
Carri has worked with artists including
M.I.A. ,
2NE1,
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated Flow (rapping), flow in her rapping, alter e ...
,
Skepta ,
Boy Better Know
Boy Better Know, often abbreviated as BBK, is a British grime collective and record label. The collective was founded in North London in 2005 as an independent record label by brothers Jamie and Joseph Adenuga, better known as Jme, and Skepta. ...
(
JME modelled in the first cassetteplaya catwalk),
Ruff Sqwad
Ruff may refer to:
Places
* Ruff, Virginia, United States, an unincorporated community
* Ruff, Washington, United States, an unincorporated community
Other uses
*Ruff (bird) (''Calidris pugnax'' or ''Philomachus pugnax''), a bird in the wader fa ...
,
MNEK
Uzoechi Osisioma "Uzo" Emenike (born 9 November 1994), professionally known by his stage name MNEK (, ), is a British singer, songwriter and record producer. He has been nominated for a Grammy and a Brit Award, and has received the ASCAP Vangua ...
,
Mykki Blanco
Mykki Blanco (born April 2, 1986) is an American rapper, performance artist, poet and activist. She has collaborated musically with artists including Kanye West, Teyana Taylor, and Dev Hynes, Blood Orange.
Early life
Blanco was born in Orange ...
,
Brooke Candy ,
Riff Raff (rapper)
Horst Christian Simco (born January 29, 1982), better known by his stage name Riff Raff (often stylized as RiFF RAFF), is an American rapper. He was originally managed by Swishahouse co-founder OG Ron C. After being associated with rapper and ...
and
Danny Brown
Daniel Dewan Sewell (born March 16, 1981), better known by his stage name Danny Brown, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He has been described by MTV as "one of rap's most unique figures in recent memory".
In 2010, after amassing ...
Her designs have also been worn by
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
,
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman, joining ...
,
Rita Ora
Rita Sahatçiu Ora (born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence in February 2012 when she featured on DJ Fresh's single, "Hot Right Now", which reached number one in the UK. Her debut stud ...
and
Rihanna.
Munden was a contributing fashion editor of Super Super magazine, contributor and stylist for ''
i-D,'' and has collaborated with
Nicola Formichetti
Nicola Formichetti (; born 31 May 1977) is a fashion director and fashion editor. Born in Japan, he is most widely known as the artistic director of the Italian fashion label Diesel and for being a frequent collaborator with singer-songwriter Lad ...
of ''
Dazed & Confused''.
Munden has also styled and art directed
Billionaire Boys Club
The Billionaire Boys Club was an investing and social club organized in 1983 by Joseph Henry Hunt (born Joseph Henry Gamsky) in Southern California. It was originally simply named "BBC", the initials of Bombay Bicycle Club, a restaurant Hunt had ...
lookbooks and an editorial shoot for
Dazed & Confused, and "Dunk Be True", an exhibition in the
East End of London, focusing on the iconic
Nike Dunk
Nike, Inc. ( or ) is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services. The company is headquartered ne ...
, in which she also appeared.
She was commissioned by M.I.A. to contribute artwork for her 2007 album ''
Kala
Kala or Kalah may refer to:
Religion Hinduism
*Kāla, a Sanskrit word meaning ''time''
*Kāla, a Hindu deity of time, destiny, death and destruction closely related to Yama and Shiva.
*Kalā, a Sanskrit word meaning ''performing arts''
* Kala Bo, ...
''.
Munden graduated in fashion design at the
University of Westminster
The University of Westminster is a public university, public university based in London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1838 as the Royal Polytechnic Institution, it was the first Polytechnic (United Kingdom), polytechnic to open in London. The Polyte ...
.
In 2007, Munden was nominated for "Best Menswear Designer" at the
British Fashion Awards, alongside
Christopher Bailey and
Alexander McQueen
Lee Alexander McQueen CBE (17 March 1969 – 11 February 2010) was a British fashion designer and couturier. He founded his own Alexander McQueen label in 1992, and was chief designer at Givenchy from 1996 to 2001. His achievements in fashio ...
.
In 2008, she was named by ''
Rolling Stone magazine
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its cove ...
'' as "Best Fashion Designer" of 2008 in their "Best of Rock" issue.
In July 2008, her work is presented in the "Fashion V Sport" exhibition at London's V&A (
Victoria & Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...
).
International outlets where her clothes sell include
Dover Street Market
Dover Street Market is a multi-brand retailer originally located on Dover Street, in Mayfair, London. It has stores in New York City, Tokyo, Singapore, Beijing and Los Angeles.
Dover Street Market was created by Rei Kawakubo of Japanese fashio ...
in London,
Colette
Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (; 28 January 1873 – 3 August 1954), known mononymously as Colette, was a French author and woman of letters. She was also a mime, actress, and journalist. Colette is best known in the English-speaking world for her ...
in Paris, SlamJam in Milan, Seven in New York, IT Hong Kong, and GR8 in Tokyo amongst others.
Munden was commissioned by
Nintendo DS to provide vinyl and foil artwork rooted in customisation for the console's
MySims
''MySims'' is a video game developed by EA Redwood Shores and published by Electronic Arts as a spin-off to Maxis' ''The Sims'' franchise for the Wii and Nintendo DS in September 2007, re-released for Microsoft Windows in 2008.
Overview
...
world game. A 2008 live video jumpdance installation work at the Pitti Uomo in Florence, Italy was particularly well received -showcasing "street gang
pixel
In digital imaging, a pixel (abbreviated px), pel, or picture element is the smallest addressable element in a raster image, or the smallest point in an all points addressable display device.
In most digital display devices, pixels are the ...
warriors joined by Sci-fi
grime
Grime may refer to:
* Dirt, in the form of black, ingrained dust
* Grime (music genre), a genre of music
* ''Grime'' (album), a 2001 album by Iniquity
* ''Grime'' (video game), a 2021 Metroidvania video game
* "Grime", a 2022 song by Dallas Woo ...
boys" sporting varying garments.
In 2010, Munden appeared in a fashion-themed episode of
series six of ''
The Apprentice
''The Apprentice'' is a reality talent game show franchise originally aired in 2004 in the United States.
Created by U.S.-based British producer Mark Burnett, the show depicts contestants from around the country with various professional backg ...
''.
In February 2010 Carri collaborated with
London College of Fashion to produce "The worlds first augmented reality fashion show". This was presented at
Somerset House as part
London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week (LFW) is a clothing trade show that takes place in London twice a year, in February and September. Showcasing over 250 designers to a global audience of influential media and retailers, it is one of the 'Big Four' fashion wee ...
In September 2010 Carri created an interactive photobooth designed by KIN design and in collaboration with
Onedotzero. "Inspired by Japanese purikura and clad in striking Cassette Playa fabric, the booth offered visitors the opportunity to create their own animated gif using 4 photographs taken inside the booth and overlaid with Cassette Playa graphics of their choice" This booth was also installed at
barbican as part of Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion , the
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery (United Kingdom), National Lot ...
,
Tate Britain
Tate Britain, known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery, is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is part of the Tate network of galleries in ...
and as part of Dazed Live by
Dazed and Confused
Carri will be working on a "collaboration" with
SHINee
Shinee ( ; ko, 샤이니, Syaini; ja, シャイニー, Shainī; stylized as SHINee) is a South Korean boy band formed by SM Entertainment in 2008. The group's musical impact in their native country has earned them numerous accolades and th ...
's
Key in their next concert outfit, hopefully.
After a brief hiatus working on external design projects Carri Munden made a return in SS15 with the newest release from her label Cassette Playa. "The range is an exercise in eccentricity, decorated in bold, psychedelic prints and using meticulously chosen messaging to create a collection that is as distinct as it is astute"
A lot of Korean Idols wear her clothes like
SHinee's Key and
2NE1
Aesthetic
Influenced by her subjects' art, Munden has also cited several global traditions including '90s
skater fashion, Japanese
anime
is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...
, African prints,
neon, and '90s
rave as influences in addition to animals, science and science fiction. She describes the CassettePlaya universe as "techno, primal, positive, tribal."
CassettePlaya is known a pioneer of the
new rave genre in fashion although CassettePlaya has distanced herself from the term, saying it is "Vacant in retro. It's just a marketing machine.... I guess it was a fun time but I'm more excited about what happens now. The next level – the next generation. There's a mood of neo-spiritualism and futurism that excites me."
Her use of
paw print fabrics and "evil looking animal masks" led some to describe her fashions as having "a certain wrath-of-Technoticlan vibe." She says "I draw really heavily from ancient hunting rituals, but my collection was also inspired by Eighties and Nineties skate culture...I wanted to bring that ancient
Shamanic
Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiri ...
vibe to the city today."
Aztec art
The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl ...
was cited as inspiring her use of orange in early lines.
She describes some of her designs as "quite cartoon" but that she has "no intention of making people look funny". Designing wear for men, she feels her designs make male wearers more 'masculinated', stating "You have to be hard to carry it off."
Interested in
video games
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedbac ...
, her most recent line references YouTube, text messaging and
circuit bending, propelled by her desire to create a
matrix
Matrix most commonly refers to:
* ''The Matrix'' (franchise), an American media franchise
** ''The Matrix'', a 1999 science-fiction action film
** "The Matrix", a fictional setting, a virtual reality environment, within ''The Matrix'' (franchis ...
with wearers "stepping into the gaming world with no way to get back out."
References
External links
Cassetteplayaon
Myspace
Cassette Playa on ''Pittiimmagine''Cassette Playa Rendez-Vous Online Showroom*
Best of Rock 2008: Cassette Playa on ''Rolling Stone'' Magazine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Munden, Carri
Alumni of the University of Westminster
English fashion designers
British women fashion designers
English magazine editors
Living people
Writers from London
Year of birth missing (living people)