Force Majeure
What’s your name and where are you from?
My name is MaiKhanh Bertrand, and I’m Vietnamese and French.
What led you to create Force Majeure? What does the name Force Majeure mean to you?
As a fashion designer and stylist, the more I learned about the industry and the state of our world, the more it became evident that to create change, I must promote ethical labels and practices in my work. FORCE MAJEURE is “a situation imperatively requiring a solution, even if it does not respect the rules in force.” We are there. We need a massive shift to resolve the oppressive systems in the fashion industry—even if it goes against what we know, even if it’s difficult.
What moment or realization pushed you to start a platform that actively challenges the fashion industry’s current systems?
For a long time, fashion magazines were irrelevant to me and my life because they focused on trends, mass production, and overconsumption. I wanted to learn about unique clothing brands, culture, and innovation, as well as world issues and inspiring solutions to our wasteful ways. This platform is necessary now more than ever to share and build a community around those ideals. I knew I had the experience, passion, and connections to create it, so I did.
As a stylist, has your relationship with clothing changed over time?
Not really. I was taught early on that quality, craftsmanship, and expression create the value of our clothes, and I still prioritise those qualities.
Who is Force Majeure for? Are you speaking to insiders, outsiders, makers, dreamers, or all the above?
FORCE MAJEURE is for everyone wearing and making clothes. We all need a reality check on how our excessive consumption and neglectful production are impacting the world and the people around us. I hope that shoppers will be empowered to buy thoughtfully and that creators will be inspired to design responsibly.
What kinds of voices, stories, and practices are you most committed to amplifying through the platform?
My goal is to showcase inspiring conscious innovators, people who are curious and always learning to create positive change. I hope to share their thought processes, experiences, hurdles and accomplishments, as well as their message.
Force Majeure embraces fashion as political; how do you think style, identity, and resistance intersect today?
I think all our actions are political: what we eat, where we live, how we dress… Clothing and style give others a first glimpse into who we are, the community we align with, and thus the values we share. Economically, what we invest in and divest from decides which principles will lead fashion in the future. It’s essential to learn where our clothes were made, by whom, and of what materials, to make informed decisions and create a more ethical industry.
Do you see Force Majeure as a space of protest, preservation, education, or something else entirely?
FORCE MAJEURE is a space for me to learn and share what I’m learning. My goal is to shed light on the ways we are harming the planet and people and to showcase what ethics in creativity can be. I am not here to blame or guilt, but rather to explore alternatives and offer some solutions.
Why a Zine?
I was a 90s kid in Los Angeles, and when I first came across local zines, I was so intrigued. Zines have such bold graphics and lettering with a DIY spirit. Fundamentally, it’s a symbol of counterculture; an expert publication in music, art, and fashion that is wildly independent and challenging the status quo.
Can you share an issue, feature, or moment that felt especially powerful?
So, we just released our first issue ever, reGENERATION, focused on thrift culture, upcycling and waste impact. Every moment of creating this inaugural piece is special, from interviewing designers to shooting with amazing creatives to laying out the magazine.
Our first launch event really gave me chills, though. An exhibition at Blue Monster Gallery in Bali, curated with a dear friend, felt unreal. The room was buzzing with insightful conversations about art and sustainability; our community was asking questions and devising plans to reimagine a better world. I dreamt about that moment for a long time.
What are some of the challenges of running a values-led platform in a space that often resists change?
So far, being values-led has only brought on positivity and gathered the right, engaged people. We are facing some challenges as an independent start-up, but that’s just part of starting something new. Time and dedication will change all of that.
Where is Force Majeure headed next, any upcoming collaborations, issues, or evolutions on the horizon?
Issue 02 is called MANkind and focuses on the human in this fashion equation. We will discuss the value that the human touch brings through passion, heritage, artisanship and the gross violation of human rights endured by so many across the world.
