Hey Calvyn, for those who may be unfamiliar with you can you introduce yourself?
Hey! I’m Calvyn, a 28 year old, South African born Olympic swimmer and designer! My mediums are mostly digital but I just recently created my first physical garment design.
You’ve just dropped your first ever physical piece the FVYN Pant, how are you feeling?
Excited and proud to have seen it all the way through, it’s been many months of work, iterations and figuring obstacles out, I’m sure anyone that’s created something can relate to that, it’s never a straight forward process and probably never will be, that’s just how the world of creation is but it felt really rewarding to eventually have the physical product in my hands! I definitely feel more motivated to turn more digital designs physical. Im also super grateful to friends and people around me for their support, CYBR included!
We hear this specific piece was inspired by your fascination with Sharks from your home country of South Africa and your history as an Olympic Swimmer, how do those inspirations come through in the drop, and why were they so important to you?
Yes the inspiration comes from 2 places, a sharks fin as well as Nike the Greek goddess’ wings which are featured on the Olympic medal. The inspiration is visualized in the fabric of the panels, being a wetsuit material (neoprene) and as well as in the shapes. I think in design it’s great to have a story and reason behind each decision, it brings you more into my world and the vision/story I’m sharing with you.
This drop was a collaboration between you and FVCKRENDER, why did you choose him to work with, and how has the journey been between you both?
It happened super organically which is why I think it worked so well, we both just genuinely enjoyed each others work and have been supporting each other on social media for a year or two, the conversation about doing something together happened around the same time I had started sharing the barrel jeans design and it just felt like such a perfect and natural fit to add the chain link pendant.
While these pants are physical, your designs are embedded in the digital fashion world, what is it for you that digital fashion brings to making fashion better and more enjoyable?
I just think it makes it so much more accessible and possible to immediately take action on an idea, you’re not weighed down by waiting for fabrics, seamstresses etc.. you have programs like CLO 3D available to bring your vision to life and start testing and perfecting it before bringing into the physical world, potentially saving unnecessary samples and fabric waste along the way. I think the capabilities of 3D also allow a designer to push the boundaries of creativity and how they showcase the design. I love merging and working in both though, I think they live together.
Given your Olympic background and as Los Angeles is your base, let’s take LA 2028 as a marker. What is your hot take on technology in fashion to happen by then, how do you see the future evolving?
Not only do I see more crossover between tech and fashion, but I think sport and fashion will bleed into each other more too. I’m very excited to lend my athletic perspective to the design world as we approach the next Olympic Games, I have a unique experience being in both worlds and I believe as I shape my design style and brand, it will bring a new version of sportswear and style with it, that’s my goal at least!
Where can we access this latest drop?
Available now with credit cards and crypto at Syky.com!
