Ronald van der Kemp celebrates ten years as a sustainable brand in New York

The stakes of the upcoming US election (which have been reflected in many of the shows at New York Fashion Week this season) are so high that even a Dutch designer, who moved his show from the usual couture calendar to New York, is advocating voting. That's precisely what Ronald van der Kemp did at his 10th annual Fashion Week in New York.He anniversary of being a sustainable collection, although the couturier's motives went far beyond politics.

“I lived here a long time ago and now I'm back. I thought it was time to show my New York ethic and give positive energy. We already have enough things in this world. I haven't done anything new; everything is already there,” she said, pointing to the clothes rack and grabbing a black bolero jacket adorned with objects covered in matte gold lacquer.

“This is all rubbish,” he said, explaining the props, which were repurposed PET plastic bottles, broken pottery and what appeared to be old buttons.

He also said he came here to remind everyone to vote. The designer revived a collection of American flags from 2008 for the anniversary collection, despite all the virtue signaling the Internet has been doing lately (though technically, using an actual flag violates flag codes, plenty of others have done it before, and for a European-born designer, it probably doesn’t carry the same weight. While it wasn’t an actual flag, French-born New Yorker Catherine Malandrino cemented her place in fashion history with her Old Glory prints).

“Of course, carrying the flag is a little bit complicated, but I did it when Obama was elected,” she laughed, adding: “For me, it's positive; it's about freedom and that freedom to be who you are. But I'm also here to remind everyone to vote.”

To that end, the first look to grace the runway involved a flag wrapped and draped around recycled jeans and a cropped T-shirt from a previous collection and a beanie reimagined as a hat would be, resulting in a swirling cone shape.

Van der Kemp's rationale for the New York jaunt also had a lot to do with his experiences living here from 1990 to 1998, where he started at Bill Blass and then worked for the Pressman family of Barney's New York, which furthered his view on luxury.

“At Blass, working with all the socialites, I learned that eveningwear could be comfortable. That image of Nan Kempner smoking with her hand in her pocket was the answer. I organized an event with her and it changed my life,” she said of the late socialite who is believed to have been the inspiration for the social x-ray in Tom Wolfe's 'The Bonfire of the Vanities'.

In this way, through Van der Kemp’s couture hands, combining progressive elements, he recreated classic ladies-to-lunch wear from the 1980s and made it avant-garde for today’s customer. In particular, exaggerated asymmetrical ruffled hems, embellished bolero jackets with pronounced shoulders, silk evening harem pants, wide bow-inspired stripes (particularly striking in black on a strapless white cocktail dress and a yellow floral appliqué detail) and unique inverted tulip-shaped hems all combined to achieve a look that has come into its own.

A Blass motif was evident in a short green satin and black lace ballgown with a slit-leg train. It featured an appliqué at the hip in the shape of the Statue of Liberty’s crown as a bold nod to the city. Dramatic black and white silk satins added a graphic touch and gave a nod to another socialite-favorite Eighties brand, Christian Lacroix, as did exaggerated ruffles and heavy embellishments throughout the dress.

Backstage, van der Kemp explained another embellishment: tropical birds covering the bodice of an elegant red dress worn by a Brazilian model named Tayana.

“She introduced me to these women who were making these hand-embroidered birds, so we started collaborating. I love it because it helps the community and the craftsmanship is amazing. We will continue,” she said, pointing to Tayana.

Following the first flag and music performance, there were further performances with the flag and intermittent music from a music team. Van der Kemp explained that it was out of respect for the anniversary of 9/11 that the performance was held.

“I'll never forget it, and my message is that we have to do it together, with respect for each other and why it's a great mix, being aware of who we are in this world and doing something good,” he continued.

The Dutch designer, whose clothes are made to order and couture for private clients, also suggested that the silence of the catwalk in the solemn space of St. Mark's Church in the Bowery put the focus back on the clothes, not the advertising.

“In New York, there's too much focus on the front row of celebrities, not on the product. I want the focus to be on the clothes,” she said. What a refreshing idea.

For the finale, a stereo-wielding male model, eerily channeling Warhol superstar Joe Dallesandro, dressed in the flag motif, led a parade of models wearing white T-shirts and jeans with more urban motifs down the runway.

They gathered as a group on a multi-tiered pulpit to the strains of Swiss disco king Patrick Juvet’s “I Love America,” and van der Kemp joined them. If the designer wanted to revive his era here, when fashion was the thrill and runway shows just the vehicle for viewing it, he should consider his mission accomplished.