RVDK Ronald van der Kemp Couture Spring 2022 – WWD

Ronald van der Kemp discovered on New Year’s Eve that his physical performance scheduled in Paris would not be able to resume due to an increase in COVID-19 cases. In a way, the virtual world is a fitting setting for his collection, where he thinks about the metaverse, intentionally making designs and models look like avatars across the screen.

“I’m intrigued by it but that’s not me,” the designer said during the Zoom preview. “The carbon footprint of NFTs is enormous.”

There is nothing virtual about the techniques involved. “It can be very modern and virtual, but all the techniques are very old fashioned, it is a labor of love,” he said.

Once a champion of sustainability, the designer used his eclectic architectural hand with a variety of techniques. He questions the waste generated from cut flowers, experimenting with preserving them and integrating them into his designs, as in the strapless silk strapless dress he compared to “whisk cream”. , combine real roses.

Pewter found in a thrift store has been melted down to create an Art Deco gown and delicate jewelry pieces, which include extensive workshop testing. That design school is also featured in a graphic dress made to look like stained glass with crêpe de chine.

Many of the designs are hand drawn by the designer himself. Others have done so through his Trashur initiative, which turns old fabrics into felt, which involves creating a wall out of the fabric that is then sprayed with graffiti by a street artist before Cut out and sew into a dress.

Denim pieces are made with intricate couture techniques, emulating crocodile skin on a look or in a collared jacket with giant shoulders and wave motifs.

Despite the virtual setting, van der Kemp still knows how to show off. He fell ill with COVID-19 last week, but managed to shoot his video at Amsterdam’s mythical Paradiso concert hall, complete with a performance by Pat Cleveland, who sang her debut single him in his videos. “She showed us how to do it gracefully,” said the designer, who created a relatively classic black coat dress for the iconic model’s performance.