For this haute couture collection that commemorates the tenth anniversary of his brand, Ronald van der Kemp had an inspiration. “It's really about the art of sustainability, literally,” he said. “It's very artistic, about reality and rawness.”
In Amsterdam, he attended the opening of Nan Goldin's exhibition “This Won't End Well,” where he spoke about two existential threats: the climate crisis and artificial intelligence.
“That exhibition moved me very much,” van der Kemp said. “It became a pattern. The world is in great chaos and, sometimes, in fashion there is a great disconnection from reality.”
So he decided to create a highly intuitive collection.
“It has a very punk feeling, versus a feeling of perfection,” van der Kemp said. “It's basically, 'Put down your phone, look at the person in front of you and empathize.'”
Her spring lineup included traditional couture and more otherworldly pieces, all with her deft tailoring.
“I found out that the Dutch National Bank cuts money that has been misprinted, so I got two bags of [that]. It was quite difficult to turn it into something textile, but I used it as pockets on a gold jacket,” she said.
Opening the show was a sculptural dress created with paper mache and gold leaf finishes. It had an asymmetrical bodice and geometric shapes stood out from the skirt.
Van der Kemp designed a colorful patchwork dress from recycled canvases assembled and repainted, which would be framed after the show. He made a flowing pink dress from couture scraps and a skirt from recycled silk muslin.
“It's a little chaotic, something I love doing anyway, but even more so,” van der Kemp said of this collection. “Because I think that's what the world is about now.”
She added: “What I hope is that people really see in this the fun and passion I have for fashion. In the end I want to seduce with really cool pieces. I want people to wake up, smell the coffee and follow me.”
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