Meet Clémence Chasselon: The Artist Turning Sneaker Soles Into Minimalistic Art

Just because Women’s International Day has passed does not mean the month celebrating women has ended. Women’s History Month is still ongoing and we are still celebrating amazing women from all areas across the globe who have made groundbreaking advances in areas like politics, society, and even…art.

One woman we are going to introduce you to is the artist, Clémence Chasselon. Chasselon, 23, is a visual artist and designer from France who creates streetwear-inspired pieces of art. Precisely, Chasselon takes sneaker soles and molds them into incredible works of art. With an eye for detail in Nike products, she describes herself as a woman who “plays with the sneaker iconic code” and draws inspiration from many areas like sneakers and, of course, art which is reflected through her minimalistic streetwear Instagram feed. Clémence Chasselon is utilizing her brand, L’empreinte Design, to showcase her creative talent and encouraging other women in the field to invest in their dreams regardless of the industry’s patriarchy.

Your Instagram feed is full of minimalistic streetwear posts. Would you consider yourself to be a sneakerhead?

I am not a sneakerhead as people may think, I am a sneaker enthusiastic. I love finding pieces that represent myself more than just the hype around them. I am not into coping every pair just for fun. I don’t have a huge collection but all my sneakers are super special to me.

Would you say that streetwear is one of your sources of inspiration? And, what other things inspire you?

It may sounds cliché but EVERYTHING can inspire me, Instagram is a huge part of my daily inspo. I love seeing beautiful pictures from everywhere around the world, great design and creative stuff. 

Describe a typical day for you.

A typical day in my life is working on a lot of different stuff. I have more than one job, I work midpart in a concept store in my home town. My second part of my day begins when I come to the studio that I share with my dad who is a painter. At first, I need to create my new pieces with resin, then search for color combo, pattern that inspires me, shoot my last pieces, add them to my e-shop, and checking the flowers in my drying up process for the next day. The resin takes a super long time to dry, so I can’t make unlimited number of tags in a day. Then I need to pack my orders, and send them off quickly. Also, I need to create content for my social media @clemencechasselon, @lempreintedesign, @thefreshestcustom, and also my dad @benjaminchasselon. 

As a woman, have you faced in challenges working in this field? And, what do you want other women to gain from your work?

I never felt that being a young woman was a challenge to creating my own vision and business. In 2019, girls should not be afraid to create their projects even in a gender-dominated industry such as sneakers and streetwear. 

How long have you been designing and creating art?

I have always been into creating my own stuff, even at a young age I crafted everything I own, and so I develop my abilities to make things with my hands.

What does the process for creating the soles look like? Could you break down the process for us.

First, I need to create a mold, which I make from my own sneakers soles. Once I’ve created the ones I want, I need to choose what I put in it. It is a long process, especially for the pressed flower ones because I have to let them dry before incorporating them in the sole. Each creation is unique, so it depends on my mood. My pieces are made with love; it takes time, but it is worth it.

What made you choose sneaker soles as a form of art?

There’s a lot behind just a sole for sneakerhead, the details are crazy.
There’s no better feeling than slipping into a new pair of kicks, but at the same time you know you’ll damage the sole wearing it. So, my work is for real sneaker lovers who wants to have a dead stock sole on their wall forever while they rock their fave pairs with no shame 
Rock it, don’t stock it! 

In addition to the soles, we see that you also make keychains as well. Do you design or create any other pieces?

I do have a lot of ideas in my head for my future pieces. I want to create lace locks, but I just need to figure out the exact design. I’ll do it soon for sure though.

Any other hobbies?

I am a creative soul, so I am either painting on paper, taking food photograph, or customizing my sneakers. I always come up with new ways to express myself or make my business grow.

What other great things can we expect from you and your brand this year?

Few days ago I dropped my first ebook in french which teaches people how to customize sneakers and maybe some more this year…In the next 3 months my products are gonna be distributed in new shops. I have 2 upcoming sneaker events in France and I’m super excited about that! Also, I’m working on a cool new thing with Girl on Kicks – new projects with new friends!