Arthur Kar is the founder of the “ KAR by L’Art De L’Automobile“, but what exactly is his brand all about?
The concept began once Arthur realised that he is a man with access to some of the most coveted and valuable automobiles that money can buy. Having spent his entire life in the car business, he found a way to capitalise on his connections. Today, you can find some of the most rare automobiles available for sale exclusively via his extensive car garage-turned-lifestyle brand, KAR by L’Art De L’Automobile.
Somewhere between a car collector and a car dealer, Kar is one of those creative powerhouses, with an established and loyal following in the car community.
While many car collectors prefer to keep a low-profile, Arthur saw a niche in the market and has found quite some popularity and success.
In an interview with ‘Hypebeast’, Kar admitted that there are some cars, however, that are too near and dear to his heart to part ways with. He also shared that his first job was washing cars. After he graduated he chose to go into car resale, with little money saved up and a lot of aspiration.
In just a decade, Kar was able to transform his garage to a cultural hub and the new ‘hot’ hangout spot in Paris. In the past year, Kar has also expanded into the exclusive, street-style merchandise line, with a focus on t-shirts and hats.
Kar explained on a podcast that each shirt is based on a story, that has a strong personal link to him. From having nightmares of his car ending up on cinder blocks, to a two T-shirt pack consisting of before and after shots of a crash-tested a Lamborghini; elaborating : “for me, the Diablo looks cooler when it’s crashed.”
The brand has gone through quite some transformations over the last year, with the clothing line gaining recognition.
When asked in an interview with ‘Hypebeast’ if he sees Kar-L’Art de L’Automobile as a merchandise line, he said:
“Kar-L’Art de L’Automobile isn’t a merch line, it’s a brand that pulls from all of my life experiences. KAR is a project generated by the three things I love the most: arts, fashion and obviously cars!”
Also adding on “this is not the type of project that I think every car dealer would go into – I am not launching this as a car dealer but really as a translation of my experiences and personality through a creative medium.”
So there is the answer, ‘Kar- L’Art de L’Automobile is a creative outlet of a business insider who’s passion for cars has flowed over into different forms. In a world where cars are a part of everyone’s daily life, it comes as no surprise to see a fashion line inspired by the automotive world.
Though skate culture still remains the dominant influence in today’s street style, it is refreshing to see a new direction in the world of fashion. With collections growing fast, collaborations in the planning and a full range of products coming up, ‘Kar- L’Art de L’Automobile’ is sprouting into an established fashion brand.
