Designer, graphic artist, obsessive collector, and creator of the @Finmuseum Instagram account, Julien Roques is one of the few people capable of telling the story of swimfins model by model, generation by generation. For years, he has been archiving, comparing, collecting, and analyzing the designs that have shaped bodyboarding, bodysurfing, and swimfin culture. He also contributed to the development of DUKE Swimfins by creating the brand’s visual identity, logo, colorways, and packaging.
Hi Julien! For those who don’t know you yet, how would you introduce yourself?
Not easy in just a few words… I’m a versatile creative, a passionate and deeply curious person, in love with the ocean and with life in general.
I’ve been living and working in Bordeaux for more than a quarter of a century, and I love traveling to discover more and more.
I founded my creative studio, Freak Fabric, in 2003, and I work on a wide variety of projects, following my inspirations and desires.
Where does this fascination with swimfins come from?
It all started in Biarritz in the 1990s. I was 14 years old, on vacation in the Basque Country, and I bought my first pair of Churchill fins in a surf shop so I could catch my first real waves on a bodyboard.
It’s very strange, but it was love at first sight. The texture, the shape, the colors, the smell of the rubber… beyond its function, this unique object fascinated me instantly. Hard to explain without sounding like a fetishist!
Ever since that day, I’ve been collecting fins from all over the world…
Is that what led you to create The Fin Museum?
Exactly. I realized there were so many stories to tell around these iconic fins, and nobody had done it before.
I made time for it and started photographing my collection to showcase it in this virtual museum that became The Fin Museum.
This initiative allowed me to connect with the idols of my youth and today’s legends. Brands support the project and send me their products to help expand the collection.
I even managed to acquire some extremely rare fins and trace back their history thanks to the help of my small community of passionate enthusiasts.
You were involved in the development of Duke Swimfins. How did that collaboration begin?
I was contacted by Mathieu Desaphie and Jeremy Arnoux, who were working on the prototype for their new fin. They needed the perspective of a creative like me to imagine the entire visual universe surrounding the model.
Together, we brainstormed, and my expertise as an art director, graphic designer, designer, and photographer helped shape what has now become DUKE Swimfins. From the fin colors to the packaging, every detail was carefully designed.
What makes a great pair of fins, in your opinion?
First and foremost, I’d say comfort. A fin that performs well and looks great but makes me suffer after five minutes in the water will eventually end up gathering dust in the back of the garage. The ideal fin should feel invisible once you put it on.
The perfect fin combines comfort, design, and performance. And I believe the DUKE fin comes very close to that ideal!
Your approach seems heavily influenced by design.
Yes, that’s my natural bias… I experience the world primarily through my eyes. I place huge importance on shapes, colors… I’m very sensitive to design and architecture, and that definitely shows in the way I approach every project.
Thanks to the trust Mathieu and Jeremy placed in me, I was able to fully express that sensitivity with DUKE and help bring to market a fin that reflects who I am and that I’m proud to wear.
If you had to summarize Duke Swimfins in just a few words?
Elegance in the service of performance.
Any final words?
See you soon on The Fin Museum Instagram account (@fin_museum) for more fascinating stories!”