SOURCE MATERIAL - ENFANTS RICHES DÉPRIMÉS
Enfants Riches Déprimés is a Los Angeles and Paris–based luxury house founded by Atlanta-born Henri Alexander Levy. Since 2012, the brand has developed a distinct design language and built a world shaped by alternative and punk ideologies. Its vast cultural references in garment design and art direction can largely be tied to nihilism. Whether expressed through graphics, design choices, or campaigns and marketing, the brand extends far beyond alternative-inspired clothing. Each piece exists within a broader universe of dark media and culture.
EXIT MAGAZINE
Exit Magazine was a publication popularized in the 1980s within the underground art world, known for covering taboo subjects. Its content included comic strips, illustrations, and articles featuring imagery rooted in disturbing and provocative themes. The “H.P. Lovecraft” intarsia sweater, along with other pieces, shows clear inspiration drawn from the visual language and content of these publications.
PSYCHIC TV
The English post-punk band Psychic TV was known for its experimental sound and video-driven work. Enfants Riches Déprimés graphics are often seen as drawing from Psychic TV’s motifs and ideology, helping shape the aesthetics of punk and darker visual culture more broadly.
DAVID LYNCH
The surreal, dream-like aesthetic present in ERD’s content closely parallels the visual language of filmmaker David Lynch. These themes are especially evident in film clips used throughout the brand’s advertising and marketing. The imagery draws clear influence from works such as Mulholland Drive and Twin Peaks.
MARQUIS DE SADE
Marquis de Sade was a French writer known for his erotic novels, most notably The 120 Days of Sodom, which explored themes of sex, power, and cruelty. These same themes appear throughout much of ERD’s work, with certain graphics directly referencing de Sade himself.
COOKIE MUELLER
Actress and writer Cookie Mueller is regarded as an influential figure of the 1970s and 1980s. She appeared in several films by John Waters and authored multiple books. A close friend of Nan Goldin, she was widely photographed throughout her life. Mueller lived a free-spirited and often darkly chaotic life. Henri Alexander Levy has cited her as a key influence, and her presence can be felt in the emotional undertones of many ERD designs.
Enfants Riches Déprimés has created a dense and compelling cultural universe within fashion. With references spanning writers, musicians, and filmmakers, its visual and conceptual language draws from a consistent and interconnected set of influences, forming a singular, cohesive worldview.