Charles Leclerc is embarking on one more facet quest — the launch of his personal inventive studio.
Aptly named Sidequest as a nod to his exterior Formulation 1 ventures, the inventive studio is being cofounded by Leclerc alongside photographer and filmmaker Antoine Truchet and veteran model strategist Nicolas Jayr.
Sidequest stated it was born out of Leclerc’s private curiosity in off-the-track endeavors, which led to the inventive studio’s launch — it encompasses the intersection of storytelling throughout sports activities and tradition.
Trucet advised WWD that Leclerc is a “trendy Renaissance man” and “polymath” who expresses himself throughout numerous inventive mediums. To date Leclerc has created a trend collaboration with Ferrari Fashion, launched his personal ice cream model LEC, made and launched classical piano music, signed with WME, been named a worldwide model ambassadorship for numerous manufacturers and extra.
“I’ve at all times seen creativity as a technique to discover completely different elements of who I’m,” stated Leclerc. “Making music, launching an ice cream model, exploring trend and creating content material. These aren’t distractions — they’re a part of how I feel, categorical myself and create. Over time, I’ve change into more and more curious and intentional about how issues are made: the emotion, the element, the story. Sidequest is a technique to convey that mindset to life and to share it with others.”
Each Jayr and Trucet have been instrumental in shaping the private model and inventive universe of Leclerc over time. Trucet has been Leclerc’s private photographer and filmmaker for his social media platforms and helped handle the drivers’ social media accounts. Jayr’s experience lies in model technique; he’s beforehand labored at Wieden+Kennedy, BBH for Google and Nike, led model advertising and marketing at Formulation 1 from 2018 till 2021 and most just lately led world partnerships at motorsports inventive company Race Service in Europe.
Based mostly out of Monaco and Amsterdam, Sidequest stated it would converge the worlds of manufacturers and expertise, akin to athletes, to create genuine storytelling with long-lasting influence. Truchet defined that this inventive studio may also allow athletes to specific themselves past their sport — he pointed to Leclerc’s success off the observe as proof of how athletes are at the moment’s cultural leaders.
Whereas content material is an integral a part of how individuals expertise tradition at the moment, the studio stated it’s open to exploring a wide range of codecs and never field itself into one set formulation. Whether or not it’s bodily experiences, analog codecs, documentaries and publishing, Jayr and Trucet stated they’re open to exploring with the liberty to experiment and push the boundaries of storytelling.
“Athletes dwell on the crossroad of three worlds: on-track, off-track and model partnerships,” Jayr stated in an interview. “Too typically these three feel and look disconnected. With Charles, the main focus has at all times been on weaving them collectively into one thing coherent, genuine and provoking — that’s really and authentically him. That’s the identical precept we now apply with Sidequest.”
The trio has constructed up relationships with high contacts throughout the movie, design, pictures, trend, manufacturing and music areas who will likely be tapped into when curating bespoke and tailor-made groups for every mission; collaboration is on the core of the inventive studio ethos. To date, Sidequest has already labored on campaigns for purchasers akin to Chivas Regal, APM Monaco and LEC.
“Sidequest is about turning curiosity into photos and tales that individuals can join with visually and emotionally — not simply the athlete as a performer, however as a human being,” continued Trucet. “It’s in these in-between moments — past the competitors — the place tradition and sport actually meet. And the place we, as followers, can relate.”
Jayr stated that the endeavour will permit younger expertise an opportunity and hold opening doorways for brand spanking new and various voices to collaborate with the studio.
“Right this moment, with AI, social media and new instruments, you see an increasing number of expertise who’re self-taught however deeply expert. We need to harness that vitality: people who find themselves obsessive about craft, storytelling and curiosity. We additionally carry the affect of Nike, Formulation 1 and Race Service, the place Antoine and I labored on early tasks for Charles. Our expertise has formed our considering, given us a inventive group, and stays a real a part of our story.”
Whereas Formulation 1 has been an integral a part of all three of the cofounders’ worlds, Jayr stated that they’re self-proclaimed “sport geeks” and simply as captivated with soccer, basketball, tennis, and excessive sports activities. Pointing to how Formulation 1 has exploded over time and turning the drivers into cultural figures in their very own proper, the studio desires to convey that to different disciplines with manufacturers that additionally share that ambition.
“We need to work with daring companions who usually are not afraid to personal their imaginative and prescient, who care about particulars and who need to construct one thing true to themselves, not chase traits or replicate what’s already on the market,” stated Trucet.
When discussing how the launch of Sidequest will influence Leclerc’s legacy and attain past Formulation 1 and sports activities, Jayr famous that his legacy goes past trophies and Grand Prix wins — “it’s all about affect, creativity and the way in which you encourage individuals.”
The studio’s long-term targets are to construct an area that empowers athletes, creators and types to create tasks that make a cultural mark, Jayr stated. Trucet added that the studio’s general mission is to honor “like-minded individuals’s completely different backgrounds and views” and produce “honesty, humanity and wonder into how sports activities and tradition is advised.”
