L’Anniversary of L’Art de L’Automobile
It all started in a garage in Lebanon, in Beirut to be precise – As a child, Arthur Kar spent a lot of time in his father’s garage. A constant presence: two Golf MK1s. At the age of 16, Arthur starts a training as a mechatronics technician at the Porsche Center in Paris. After about 4 years, he goes into business for himself, dealing in sports cars that he has reconditioned. The design language of the BMX, skateboarding and basketball scene combined with his passion for cars inspired him to launch his own fashion brand in 2017 – L’Art de L’Automobile – the art of the automobile.
We look back at the most exciting collections and pieces of the last 5 years of “L’Art de L’Automobile”.
1. CRASH TEST CENTER /JAN 2018
“there’s a waiting list of people who wants to crash the car (..)”
… Arthur Kar replies to Bella Hadid’s question if she can crash the Lamborghini Diablo.
In early 2018, Arthur opened the exhibition “Crash Test” to mark the release of the collection at the time. The T-shirts came in short- and long-sleeved variants, with the former featuring “Crash Test for Safety Step 1” printed on the back and the latter featuring the “Step 2” variant. Characteristically, both T-shirts had the yellow and black Crashtest logo printed on them.
2. CLASSIC GARAGE CREWNECK /NOV 2019
The black sweater with the boxy fit and the round neck, can be worn on both sides. The first wearing variant shows the typical lettering of the brand on the chest and the large, circular logo on the back. On it you can see a red Golf GTI MK1, which, as mentioned at the beginning, plays a big role in Arthur’s life. The inside version is more subtle, with just “KAR” lettering on the chest. Ribbed cuffs at the wrists and waist ensure a snug fit, while an oversized elastic band at the neck adds durability when putting it on and taking it off.
3. LART DREAM KAR GRAPHIC TEE /JUL 2020
The blue T-shirt comes with a large backprint on which the side profile of the legendary Ferrari Enzo’s can be seen. The typical lettering on the chest completes the top and literally just screams for warm summer nights.
4. L’ART DE L’AUTOMOBILE & GRASSI 10000 COLLAB.
GRASSI 10000 has selected and revisited basic fabrics from the archives of a company that has been making workwear since 1925, and made them the basis of a collaborative format with people from the creative field. Arthur is one of them, and in collaboration he brings out a yellow uniform consisting of a jacket and pants. The jacket features the brand’s signature logo on the back with the Golf GTI MK1, but this time in a plainer, black version.
5. L’ART DE L’AUTOMOBILE – VANS COLLABORATION / OCTOBER 2020
Once again, Arthur Kar has been inspired by the first-series VW Golf GTI and has collaborated with Vans to redesign the ERA VLT LX. The sneaker was available in black and white with lettering on the sole, as well as the L’Art logo on the outside.
Just in time for the 5th birthday of the L’Art brand a new collection comes online on the 04.04.2023 which is available for purchase at www.lartdelautomobilekar.com. It pays to be quick, because the pieces are often sold out within a couple minutes.
“To celebrate the 5th anniversary of Kar & the 10th of L’Art de L’Automobile, I wanted once again, to feature the one car that drew me into this world of automobiles: The Golf GTI. However, this time around, we have chosen to pay tribute to my father, the person who instilled in me this passion for cars, by taking the Golf “back home” and shooting our anniversary campaign in his garage. (…)” (Arthur Kar on Instagram)
Photos: L’Art de L’Automobile – Lookbooks
