Lille-based Aveyronnaise is “all the rage” at the Decathlon for Justine Pereira
Designer Component for Decathlon, Aveyronnaise Justine Pereira designs textiles for the sports brand. A profession that has always fascinated him and in which he has real experience.
I’ve always liked color, shape, touching material.” Growing up in Mondalazac in the commune of Salles-la-Source from a very early age, Justine Pereira practiced drawing and developed a “sensibility for textiles” Born in 1990. Rodez, she Jean-Auzel He studied at de Marcillac school and then at the college of Kervallon, where he remembers being “a little rebellious. “I was a little different for a long time, I wore colors. “He repeats it for the third time. year and admits that he is not good at math, French, science. “It was a little complicated for me,” he admits. So the teenager draws: “It allowed me to escape. And those were the only skills I had at that time.”
Knowing that her daughter has potential, her mother Sylvie makes an appointment at the François-d’Estaing high school in Rodez. Despite his average grades, the principal, considering his achievements, admits that the student is joining the Applied Arts sector. And there, “everything was done,” recalls Justine Pereira, who finally flourished in her studies, especially encouraged by one of her teachers, Barbara Dubienko, with whom she became in touch.
A young Aveyronnaise in hand combines the Fine Arts of Tarbes (High Pyrenees), a year in which he discovered ceramics and screen printing.
Successful experience in Italy
In 2011, he went to Belgium, where he took the entrance exam for the La Cambre school in Brussels. The school she graduated in 2015 was crowned with a master’s degree in textile design, standing out from the jury. He specializes in this field, be it knitting, weaving, finishing, dyeing.
The difficult years in college have left him far behind.
“I opened a flower, I saw that this was my path. Everything made sense, it was obvious!, he says. I gave myself completely.”
Fresh out of graduation, she traveled to Italy to join Dedar, a luxury fabric publisher based in the southern town of Appiano Gentile. “I was in charge of all the research, then explains the young designer who lives in Como. I analyzed future trends in furniture, contacted suppliers and worked on fabrics – for armchairs, cushions, curtains, wall coverings… – to integrate into our collection. I loved it. “.
After this very useful experience, he decided to travel around Europe and even Colombia for a year. The year is not enough vacation because the Aveyronnaise publishers registered as auto entrepreneurs will meet with suppliers. “A period of exploring possibilities,” he says.
She works with the Neolice workshop in Creuse and other creative studios, especially specializing in artistic digital textiles. And begins freelance cooperation with Decathlon. Finally, Sign will offer it a CDI in 2019. “He said it was good to focus on one project because I wanted stability.”
“Eyes of the Decathlon”
“It’s a very humane and very innovative box. With a good mentality and a lot of young people,” appreciates the designer responsible for trend analysis. “I am Decathlon’s eyes, looking outward to stay ahead of the market, he explains. I push them to innovate so that people can enjoy wearing Decathlon every day.” Justine Pereira thus develops the textile offer for all the sportswear signed by the brand – from Starever for dance to Solognac for hunting through Quechua, Forclaz or Domyos.
In Lille – “one of the cities with a textile tradition” – where the brand’s design office and the industrial process for textile development are located, the young Aveyronnaise appreciates the proximity of “the three capitals of London, Paris and Brussels”. . “The sky is often low in Lille, he notes. But the people are very human and warm. And then it’s a very culturally rich city.”
At the same time, Justine Pereira continues her freelance activities, participates in artistic projects, gives design lessons, collaborates with art schools, especially in Toulouse and Paris, where she found a companion.
“For me, it makes sense to pass on young people and accompany them so that they can find their own way.”
And Aveyron? “When I was young, I wanted to leave because I thought there was nothing there,” she smiles. I descend to the height of Mouret, near the chapel.
