Interview by DEMET KAMBUROGLU

Today, we’re at De Bijenkorf for the Replay Denim’s launch of the Replay 9zero1 Collection in collaboration with Martin Garrix. I’m going to start with my first question, which is a general introduction to our conversation. Replay Denim is known for its innovative and youthful approach to fashion. What drew you to collaborate with the brand specifically? And what made Martin Garrix the perfect fit for Replay Denim?

Martin: What drove me to go into this adventure together was the energy. We met in Paris, and straight when we met, there was this energy, this excitement, this joy. And besides, I like the brand a lot. I’m very excited, very proud of the collection we did. But most importantly, the entire team, the way the collaboration has happened has been so organic and so much fun. At every single thing I do in life, from studio work to shows to partnerships with brands, the most important thing for me is having fun. This is fun. (Laughing) I’d like to thank to the entire team. It’s been an absolute joy to (stops) I don’t even want to call it work together. It’s just been fun designing, brainstorming, performing, trying out new stuff. This collection is one of the things I’m very proud of.

Matteo: Well, it’s pretty much the same. Most of the things that works in life, whether it’s business or friendship, is out of chemistry and out of the way you are living. I think we share common vision and passion in hard work, and a loyalty to the community, and these make our decision quite natural. Because we share pretty much the same values. Each time I met with him, I always left more impressed than the one before. He gave me a lot of motivation to do something even better than yesterday. That’s why I believe that this project will be fun. Also, it’s a matter of personal pride to do something well-cared for other people. It’s a natural fit.

photography KUBILAY ALTINTAŞ

What you’re explaining here sounds great and brings me to the question about the process behind. It sounds like you really matched perfectly. Can you both walk us through how this collaboration came to be? What sparked the idea, and how did the initial discussions unfold?

Martin: Well, it started as just straight up friendship. We met in Paris, then two weeks later, came to Amsterdam. We had an amazing time with him and the team. And then before we realized it, organically, we started talking, brainstorming, dreaming. We both have big dreams. I’ll never, ever stop dreaming. And one of our dreams was to do something together that combines my style, my symbol of X and my identity together with the Replay identity and find a match that we’re both super comfortable in. That feels like an organic, natural collaboration. It’s not like me wearing something that I would never wear. With this collection, I know that these are pieces I would normally wear. I think that’s most important with any collaboration. I think it’s important that you stay true to yourself and then you push each other.  Replay has really pushed me. Also, the team showed great potential. I’m really excited about it.

Are there any memorable moments or stories from working together on this collaboration you would like to share?

Martin: For me, it was really cool to go and visit the head office in Italy. Just being there, the history, seeing all the passionate people. Because there’s a lot of similarities with making music in a way, because you’re crafting on something for so long. The world doesn’t see it yet until it’s finalized. But there’s so many steps before you reach that end product. So, it was very cool to have a step into his world and into the world of replay and see that there’s so many similarities with my world, even though I create something completely different. So that for me was very It was very eye-opening. Just the building itself, it was cool. Also, the design studios. It was really inspiring.

Matteo: For me, it was the same. Actually, to be close to this creative genius (pointing to Martin). Also, one of the most inspiring moments was here in Amsterdam. I was blessed enough to see him create music. It was the first time in my life to watch the process behind. You always judge a final product, but you don’t know how this product is done. I was blessed to see him create from scratch. That I will never forget. This drives me, but the entire team’s inspiration to do the best. I think we are both lucky because we have an incredible team around us. We are lucky because this team fit perfectly. They bring so much value to the table. I know our expectations are very high in our job, but we tend to deliver our best in whatever we do. The comprehensive factor, starting from that night in Amsterdam, gave me the motivation that I can’t forget and that would drive me to do even better. The next step is what we have today.

Creativity is a big part of this process, right?

Matteo: Passion, creativity, and the talent, of course. But overall, the simplicity of how you can show this to a team, to a community. I think this is something you can’t find everywhere.

I can imagine that creativity is indeed a huge component of this collaboration, which makes me wonder: Martin, your creative talent is evident in your music. And how do you think you brought this creativity to your collaboration with Replay Denim? And Matteo, how did Martin’s creative input complement Replay’s vision?

Martin: I don’t want to take credit for it because it’s very much done by the Replay team, with Boris, and our team. They integrated parts of my light show, such as the lasers, onto the T-shirt. I’m very involved with the creative side of my show. So, to see the bridge from my work to the design of the T-shirts is a very cool little wink towards the life aspect of Garrix. This collection started out of spontaneity, joy, and luck. We met at the most random place in Paris. I had no clue who he was. My cousin actually started talking to Matteo, and they connected. Afterwards, Matteo and I connected. It wasn’t until 2-3 weeks later that he came to Amsterdam with the team, and I got to introduce him to my world. For me, it was so eye-opening to see such a family and to be immediately accepted into this family without even having worked together before. He never even said a word about working together at first, which is so much joy. The mutual respect is also important. Everybody who I see him interact with, the way he treats his team, the people around him… For me, that’s very similar to how I’d like to have things run on Team Garrix.

It built a bridge for you, as well, then.

Martin: Yes! It was eye-opening and inspiring to see. Sometimes you hear horror stories about the fashion industry. Vice versa, sometimes you hear horror stories about the music industry. It felt like finding a bridge where it feels like family, where it all makes sense. Also, the more I got to know him and the team, my reasons (for the collaboration) became even more obvious. It works thanks to the energy.

Matteo: From a creative perspective, we try to evaluate this mega standard on creativity, and we try to visualize the creativity to translate it into our technique. Every T-shirt truly represents what we stand for. The combination of two very good teams translates into this work. A T-shirt is something that translates identity into technique, into a piece of jersey. And I do believe people will understand it. The creativity is there and remains very evident.

Replay has established very successful collaborations with worldwide stars over the last few years. What do you owe the inspiration that remains so consistent? What does it take to be a Replay Denim Brand Ambassador?

Matteo: We’re building up a community. We try to be a connector. I think we’re building long term relationships with people that have similar values to us. As a matter of fact, we are very attracted to high talents and to geniuses. And that helps us to improve on a daily basis and to bring our product to a higher standard, because we want them to be proud and we respect the talents’ integrity so much. Similar to what Martin said previously, the community of Replay builds in a very natural and a personally connected way.

Martin, you are not only known for the leading music you produce, but also for your sense of style. Did your personal style have any influence on the designs in this collaboration? How much of Martin Garrix can we expect to see in the collection’s items, and how did the collection adapt to match your style?

Martin: Thank you! Yeah, 100%. It’s a crazy story when I give a lot of credit also to Natalie, part of team Replay. She helped the design of the collection, as well. The first time I met her was at a party of almost 20 people at my house. Matteo and the Replay Team was there too. It was a party mood, where there were drinks, talking, getting to know each other, everything. And first thing she asked me was “Hey, Martin, can I look in your closet.” Interesting! (both are laughing) First thing to ask? Sure, here it is! She spent almost 2 hours going through everything, analyzing my DNA, my style. I was thinking afterwards and found it so smart. Instead of going through mood boards or asking me for pictures, she walked in the closet and analyzed everything. And with that info, I think there was a kickstart with the first board we received. When I looked at the entire mood board I received, there was not one piece which found unfitting to my style, because the team already knew and felt what I was representing.

cover image and campaign photography THIERRY LE GOUÈS

The collection draws inspiration from the 1990s, a signature era for many of us. Martin, being a ’90s kid yourself, did you aim to infuse elements of Amsterdam’s old style into this collection? Do you see it as a nod to nostalgic fashion?

Martin: The new Replay collection is based on the old school aesthetics. They revived the 1981 designs, brought it back to today. It’s great to incorporate the older influences and the classic style with the fresh out-of-2024 pieces.

Matteo: I believe authenticity is a big issue in fashion today. And you can’t buy authenticity either. You either have it or not, but you can’t buy it. We were blessed enough to have it in our company, and I think this will be very relevant to the young generation. You can see this in many other categories of fashion. Think about sneakers. We’re very successful and relevant to people through the original sneakers, because in any case you relate to history or to a topic that has real value, you maintain the success. Going forward, that will be even more important. The way you fine tune the classics in a contemporary way will make the pieces even more relevant. That’s why I believe we can uniquely do that in our collections. And there are only few collaborations like ours that can remain real on this sort of authenticity.

How do you envision this successful partnership influencing future collaborations between artists and fashion brands in Amsterdam culture?

Matteo: Personally, I think we are at the beginning of a super long journey. And we really don’t know the boundaries of where this can go. The good news is we both agree that creativity, trust, and authenticity will be the base and the foundation of this collaboration.

Martin: This is something that is not for only a couple of years. I see us building something together. I feel like today is very important. Like the first chapter of a huge book.

Matteo: So, if you were to ask where the end we will be, I don’t think I see it in my business. I don’t think you see it in your music (talking to Martin). I think we are both super positive people, and we try to use all our capability to do the best possible things out of our common knowledge. While having fun and protecting our respect to each other always. I believe this would be very relevant to everyone that would walk with us.

Martin: Also, this might sound completely crazy, but even with Garrix, I have the feeling that I’m at the start of everything. I feel like I haven’t proven anything yet. There’s so much I still want to do, so many things I want to accomplish, so many things I want to learn. I’m still learning every day, and I will learn for the rest of my life. I find that so exciting. There’s so much to look forward to, to work for. And I have the exciting feeling with this collaboration. (stops for a brief moment) I’m very hungry.

(laughs)

And we all look forward to the rest to come. Thank you so much for the conversation. It was great talking to you both.