404 Studio is the independent fashion label of Anaïs Vauxcelles. She started the label in Valencia in 2018 and now works from Milan, making collections that move between fictional worlds and personal experience, with room for the imperfections of handmade techniques.
The name 404 Studio comes from the internet's error message, a reference to things that cannot be found or do not fit into an established system. For Vauxcelles, the idea extends to the creative process, where mistakes can become part of a garment's identity.
Here she talks about learning to sew as a child, the influence of Japanese animation, the reality of running an independent label and the music on rotation in her studio.
How did 404 Studio begin?
Every brand starts somewhere, often with an idea that doesn't quite fit into what's already out there. What was the original spark behind 404 Studio?
Anaïs Vauxcelles: I've been sewing since I was eight, learning from my grandmother, and both my mother and grandmother taught me different crafts, including crochet. So craftsmanship has always been part of my life, but I never wanted to approach it in a traditional or nostalgic way.
When I started 404 Studio, I wanted to create something that felt personal and didn't have to fit neatly into an existing category. I didn't want to choose between fashion, art, image-making or popular culture.
How does cinema influence 404 Studio?
Your collections draw on cinema, subcultures and fictional worlds. What makes a story interesting enough for you to translate it into clothing?
Anaïs Vauxcelles: I'm usually drawn to a story because of a feeling rather than a specific image or character. It might be the atmosphere of a film, the psychology of someone in it, a particular color, or the way it plays with reality.
Satoshi Kon's Paprika is a good example. For our latest collection, I was interested in the relationship between dreams and reality, and in how something that seems completely impossible in a dream can feel more real than everyday life.
What happens behind the scenes at 404 Studio?
People usually see the final collection, but rarely the chaos, experiments and unexpected discoveries behind it. Can you share a moment when something went differently from what you imagined?
Anaïs Vauxcelles: When you're young and start creating, everything feels possible. You do things because you're curious, because you love them, or simply because you want to see what happens. Then you start running a business, dealing with budgets, production, deadlines and the realities of the industry.
We work with local artisans and deadstock materials, and sometimes a material or technique behaves differently from what you expected. You have to be open to that. Some of the best results come from mistakes or from things you weren't trying to achieve in the first place.
What exists beyond the clothes?
If we spent a day inside the world of 404 Studio, what would we discover beyond fashion?
Anaïs Vauxcelles: I'm quite obsessed with Patti Smith, although you might not necessarily see that influence in my work in an obvious or visual way.
At the moment, I'm constantly rotating between Mk.gee, Helena Gao, Sega Bodega and Oklou on Spotify.
Ultimately, I don't really see 404 Studio as just a clothing brand. It's a world that comes together through garments, images, collaborations, casting, music and the people who connect with it.
Aldo Mazzilli
A creative mind who loves storytelling and branding in a meaningful way combining Culture & Creativity. Passionate about fashion, sport and lifestyle.
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