Born in 1997, Felipe Arriagada-Nunez is a Montréal illustrator who works under the name Chien Champion. He has left his colourful mark on album covers (Fouki, Clay and Friends, LaF, etc.), merch, music videos and even children’s books. Chien Champion was kind enough to collaborate with us on a mural project for our Verdun boutique. This work also served as the inspiration for a pair of limited-edition frames by our house brand, ATELIER78.

AN EMBLEMATIC MURAL

It only took Chien Champion one try to come up with a mural concept that charmed our entire team. His initial design got the green light right away, with just a few tweaks. The mural captures life in Verdun to a T! It’s a bustling neighbourhood full of unique attractions, like its famous beach, and the mural shows characters enjoying their favourite activities.

“The goal of the image is to celebrate everything we can do with our vision, healthy vision,” explained Chien Champion. “Yeah, you can wear glasses to be stylish, but above all, it’s about caring for the health of your eyes. […] Personally, I imagined myself in a world without vision, not being able to draw anymore. It would be pretty impossible. That’s what’s most important to me: being able to depict the world, to draw.

The artist told us that he likes when his work is anchored in narrative. That’s why he was inspired by Verdun in the 1970s, specifically 1978, the year the boutique on Rue Wellington opened. “The period after the Olympics, the festive colours [of the Games], the metro that had just opened” were elements that guided Chien Champion’s work. Still, he took care to add a modern twist, inspired by the neighbourhood’s character. “We think of Verdun as […] our Florida in Montréal,” the artist said. “It’s that fun graphic quality that I wanted to play with.”

THE FRUIT OF THIS COLLABORATION: THE VERDUN FRAME IN VIOLET

For Chien Champion, there’s no doubt that the highlight of collaborating with us is the pair of glasses with his signature on them. He pointed out that making frames is a complex task done by experts, and that he was very proud to see his name on a pair.

Check out our social media to see Chien Champion’s spectacular mural. You can also make an appointment to try on the frames from this collab: the Verdun model in purple.