THE INSPIRATION
I first fell in love with Mark Rothko in January 2019 at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. His art spoke to me, and I left the museum wanting to know more about his world. Rothko wanted to express basic human emotions through art and, in doing so, inspire psychological experiences for his viewers. He saw art as a form of social action and communication.
Today, many of us struggle with the desire to express ourselves authentically, constrained by various fears or inhibitions. For me, this battle persisted, and after a couple years of feeling burnt out, I found renewed inspiration. I embarked on a project that talks to me : launching a fashion/lifestyle clothing brand called BE.SAY. (the first 2 letters of my first name + the prononciation of my last name).
I wish to communicate these messages as Rothko did and create a community of people who are invested in harvesting their happiness and freedom by way of self-expression; a community of people who choose to BE and SAY who they are or SAY who they want to BE.
To bring my vision to life, I partnered with Alexis Bonneau, a creative designer from Paris, to imagine our inaugural visuals. We based our work on the etymologies and the different meanings of the characters, personalities and emotions we selected and wanted to materialize on our first collection of t-shirts. Drawing from linguistic origins, pop culture, and personal experiences, we aimed to create a collection that resonated with our audience on a profound level.
Benoit ''Benett'' Ceilles
THE collection
Below are the visuals we imagined for our first launch. As you'll see, there will be one visual per personality (in the back of the tee-shirts) and a collection number to bring originality and exclusivity to our clients, as well as some signature pieces.
The possibilities are infinite and more is coming to reach more people, more personalities, more emotions, more colors to gather everyone, under one brand allowing us to express ourselves. Moreover, the final shape has not been chosen yet, below are just simple teeshirts to present you the general idea.
LE Rêveur
Our heads in the clouds, we imagine everything to be possible, intrigued by the unknown.
We envision our dreams by reaching for horizons, suspended from time.
L' Artiste
We are souls dedicated to the expression and vision of beauty.
We nourish an everlasting connection with the universe, our truest muse.
LE PENSEUr
With a flourishing imagination, we live to explore ideas, sometimes experiencing flashes of genius.
We are fueled by complexity and thrived when challenged.
L' introverti
Our bubble is our sanctuary, where silence is our ally.
Through introspection, we love to observe and learn.
WHO are you?
THE initiative
Our objective at BE.SAY. is to motivate those open to it to BE themselves and SAY it, always in a safe and creative space. This act feels especially relevant today because, while a handful of places around the world seem to be embracing mental health practices and talking about it more than ever, the stigma surrounding seeking support and not having everything figured out by a particular time in life is ever-present.
I experienced myself a dark period in my life—this feeling of being at the bottom, pretending everything was ok. I thought talking was unnecessary, and the suffering would all go away naturally. In the summer of 2022, I decided to leave my job of nearly 15 years. Time and space became my best friends, and like Rothko, I appreciated the silence and found truth and opportunity in it.
This is the reason why we are currently looking for associations and charities that promote discussion about mental health and depression to team-up with. Our objective is to find an association for which we will reverse a percentage of our turnover.
Last but definitely not least, we want to ensure sustainable, eco-friendly and premium quality products. As we continue to work on this project, we are actively seeking a like-minded production company to partner with us in achieving those goals.
