Calvyn Justus, a former Olympic swimmer turned digital fashion designer, shares his journey and the inspiration behind the JUSTUS x FVCKRENDER collection, featuring the unique FVYN// Pants.

Can you introduce yourself and share a bit about your background?

Originally from South Africa, I began competing as a swimmer at the age of 9, joining my first national senior team at 17 and my first Olympics at 20. This journey allowed me to travel extensively and work with various brands as a model and ambassador. After the Olympics, I moved to Los Angeles at 23, where I started collaborating more with high fashion and beauty brands.

Now, as a digital artist with a passion for fashion, I've built my career through diverse creative roles in the industry. During the pandemic lockdown, I taught myself 3D tools, immersing myself in technology to express my ideas for the future of fashion. My work has earned recognition in prestigious galleries around the world, including New York, Tokyo, and London, and has been featured in prominent publications such as i-D, Numéro, and GQ.

How has your background as a swimmer and model contributed to your digital creations?

This is where I started my introduction to the fashion world, eventually working behind the camera as well, producing and directing commercials and other creative projects. Today, my unique life experiences shape my perspective; my sporting background influences my creative work, providing me with the space I need from the sporting world so I can balance training and performance without feeling overwhelmed.

What led you to explore 3D design, and how did you find CLO?

As I began teaching myself 3D, I came across CLO, which helped me see fashion and garment design in a completely different light. It felt easy to use and not as overwhelming as most traditional fashion academic systems make one feel. That gave me the confidence to keep exploring and experimenting. I quickly saw the benefits of being able to design digitally and how many issues it fixed and gaps it bridged. Now, any ideas or concepts I have, I can design and manipulate them in CLO, perfecting the garment before moving on to physical production—saving several rounds of sample design iteration.

Can you describe the design process of your garment in CLO?

With regard to the selected artwork, the entire design and concept process was done in CLO, where I was experimenting with different shapes and panels, looking for ways to incorporate various materials. Leaning into my swimming past for reference, I landed on the neoprene and denim combo, with winged/shark fin-shaped panels—another reference to my past as a swimmer. The CLO program provided the playground for me to test the garment shapes and how they fall, move, and look—an integral part of producing the garment.

On top of that, the potential within the CLO program to showcase and present your designs in creative ways is incredible and limited only by your imagination. For my Neoprene and Denim pant design, I could experiment with different weights and fabrics before production, allowing me to explore all avenues the design could take and land on the best variation.

What is your favorite feature of CLO, and how does it help you as a designer?

For me personally, my favorite CLO feature has to be how simple it is to manipulate the garment. For example, adding wind or gravity (or removing gravity) and seeing how the garment interacts with the updated environment can allow for new ideas and innovative ways to present the design. Seeing how it moves and responds within the program simulation also gives the designer a lot of valuable feedback for potential corrections before producing.

What advice would you give to aspiring digital fashion designers who want to follow in your footsteps?

My advice is literally to just start! CLO is so beginner-friendly, and there are so many educational resources online about digital design and CLO that you really can start with no prior knowledge. I'm still learning every day; I just have the option to produce while I'm learning, which, in my mind, increases the speed of learning and adapting to mistakes as you're seeing them in real-time in the program, as opposed to waiting two weeks for a sample to arrive and then correcting. You can start anywhere, anytime, and I’m pretty sure there’s a free trial too—so there are no excuses, hahaha! Bring your ideas to life!