Q&A: Inside Wine, Women & Song, the Creative Studio Behind Sophia Stel's Design
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY NATALIE D.C. ☆
Photo by Matt Weinberger; boxers designed by Wine, Women & Song
“WHO DOES NOT LOVE WINE, WOMEN AND SONG REMAINS A FOOL HIS WHOLE LIFE LONG”—is an ancient proverb that inspired the name of Wine, Women & Song (WWS), a creative studio and research practice based in Montréal. Founded by creative director and entrepreneur Camille Béland (who goes by Calmylin), WWS specializes in visual branding that teeters between kitsch and haute couture.
After collaborating with Canadian singer-songwriter Sophia Stel on the deluxe vinyl of her EP How To Win At Solitaire, WWS has now designed the visual world—from logos to type to merch—of Stel’s debut album, the greatest album of all time, out now via A24 Music.
On the eve of the album’s release, Luna chatted with Calmylin about the origins of her creative studio, what it was like working with Sophia Stel on this debut project, as well as the Montréal-based entrepreneur’s various inspirations and future aspirations for her women-led business.
Read Luna’s conversation with Calmylin below.
Deluxe vinyl designed by Wine, Women & Song
LUNA: For those who may be unfamiliar, could you briefly introduce Wine, Women & Song as a creative studio? When did you first start working with Sophia Stel?
CALMYLIN: I had the idea for the project a year ago when I was on a pilgrimage in France doing Compostelle. It also came after a male client told me “It’s hard to work with women because they’re so emotional.” lmao. After five years doing freelance creative work in the music industry with Montreality, WWS was my way of breaking free from industry standards and freeing myself.
Sophia was one of our first clients. I reached out to her right after she released her first EP, when she wasn't signed or anything. I DMed her, “I really fuck with your music. Let’s work together.” The first commissioned project we did for her was designing the vinyls for her two EPs, Object Permanence and How to Win at Solitaire.
When she got signed to A24 Music, we were asked to pitch alongside other designers. I had three days to prepare a pitch and the only line they gave me was, “We want the creative direction to go from lo-fi to more high-end, but without losing Sophia’s essence.” Since then, we’ve been working on the design visuals for the greatest album of all time.
LUNA: What was it like working with Sophia Stel and A24 Music on the visual of the greatest album of all time? What were some of your inspirations?
CALMYLIN: It's so fun working together because we're learning, trusting and uplifting each other. We're all new to this big industry, but we're already a great team.
I remember being really inspired by bootleg perfume stores. I was in France when I was working on the overall brand, and feeling inspired by all of the fake labels that want to be luxury brands. It's just so beautiful to me.
The album cover took at least two months to revise, and so many variations of trying to put “the greatest album of all time” on the main cover. We want[ed] it to look really powerful and sometimes less is more. I saw the Bible and the Bible is gold, so I was like, “This is exactly what I want, right? This is what it should be.” Also shoutout to Scarlet who is a creative director, director and manager—she’s the goat.
Our goal is always to execute the vision of Sophia and what's really true [to] her heart. [We designed] an ashtray [and] a lighter for the simple reason that, when we hang out all together, the thing we do is smoke cigarettes and chill (laughs). It can be simple, but it's really intentional and everyone pours their heart into this project.
LUNA: After the release of Sophia Stel’s the greatest album of all time, what are your future aspirations for Wine, Women & Song?
CALMYLIN: For the future, Wine, Women & Song has to remain the playground. At first, when I started this project, I was confused about what my medium is, so WWS was a more open space where I could be like, “Oh, now I want to do more graphic design. Maybe I want to do more images or fashion campaigns in the next couple of months.” It has always been a space where I don’t have to limit myself to one medium.
This project is all about play, experimentation and freedom. If I want to [be] a movie director, a teacher or a chair designer next week, I can do it because I made the space to be able to do it. Wine, Women & Song is the playground.
LUNA: Finally, what has been inspiring you lately?
CALMYLIN: I'm really into walking. Walking [with] no cell phone has changed my life.
When I came to New York for Sophia’s album launch, I had to find a place to stay for two days. My best friend Calvin put me in touch with Jina Cappo, who I had never met before. She said, “I have a small couch, but feel free to sleep on my bed next to me.” So, in my first two days in New York, I made a new friend. We went to meditation class, got massages and talked about our businesses. She has this brand called JC the Label and she’s a real hustler. I was just so inspired. Meeting women who follow their intuition and work for their dream is really the most inspiring thing.
Ashtray designed by Wine, Women & Song
