Fashion
September 11th, 2024
Author
Maria Stanchieri

An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes

An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes
Amazon Centaur AW09
Peru White trash AW15
Peru White trash AW15
Peru White trash AW15
Peru White trash AW15
Peru White trash AW15
Motorbikes SS16
Motorbikes SS16
Motorbikes SS16
Warriors SS12
Warriors SS12
Warriors SS12
Warriors SS12
Warriors SS12
Amazon Centaur AW09
Amazon Centaur AW09
Safe Breath SS07
Safe Breath SS07
Safe Breath SS07
Lexus AW04
Lexus AW04
Lexus AW04
Lexus AW04
Bath house SS00
Bath house SS00
Bath house SS00
Sleeping Beauties SS99
Sleeping Beauties SS99
Sleeping Beauties SS99

A stretch of wrought iron hospital beds and young girls asleep in sheer stockings, fitted skirts, and pastel-toned cardigans, standing out in contrast with the whiteness of the sheets. Each one of them awakens from sleep and walks the runway, except for one, who, while waiting for her turn, has actually fallen asleep. It’s 1999, and An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx, who had met just a few years earlier in the classrooms of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, are presenting their second collection in a performance-show destined to go down in history, both for its naïve charm and its narrative power. Although they are only at the beginning, the inspirations that will accompany them for the next twenty years are already all there: Joseph Beuys, the Red Cross, religion, horses and equestrian accessories, rivets, lingerie, uniforms, and hints of fetishism. A mixture of references that recurs like a drumbeat, an obsession that cannot die out, but always in a new form, leaving room for wonder. Today, the brand no longer exists, by the founders' own choice, but in the anonymity of the barren countryside sets, in the automation of quiet luxury and Instagram feeds, fashion is more nostalgic than ever—not so much for a well-defined historical era, but for that peculiar way of working where a garment could transport us to a universe, become the spokesperson for an aesthetic and value system, and transcend the banality of reality. The aesthetic codes moved in a balance between masculine and feminine, sacred and profane, construction and deconstruction—the legacies of the Belgian school: an incomparable and unrepeatable mix that is now longed for amidst the ruins of a sector that instead dangerously veers towards anonymity. We talked about obsession and performance, about what remains of creativity and how to protect it, about the advent of social media and the changing industry, as well as her role as advisor at Polimoda, with An Vandevorst in a conversation that lasted more than an hour.

An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524036
Sleeping Beauties SS99
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524035
Sleeping Beauties SS99
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524034
Sleeping Beauties SS99
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524039
Bath house SS00
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524038
Bath house SS00
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524037
Bath house SS00
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524040
Lexus AW04
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524041
Lexus AW04
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524042
Lexus AW04
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524044
Safe Breath SS07
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524045
Safe Breath SS07
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524046
Safe Breath SS07
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524049
Amazon Centaur AW09
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524050
Amazon Centaur AW09
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524051
Amazon Centaur AW09
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524052
Warriors SS12
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524053
Warriors SS12
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524054
Warriors SS12
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524055
Warriors SS12
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524056
Warriors SS12
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524043
Lexus AW04
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524062
Peru White trash AW15
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524061
Peru White trash AW15
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524057
Motorbikes SS16
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524058
Motorbikes SS16
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524059
Motorbikes SS16
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524060
Peru White trash AW15
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524064
Peru White trash AW15
An obsession that cannot die out, interview with An Vandevorst On what remains of creativity, the advent of social media and fashion that changes | Image 524063
Peru White trash AW15

 

And how do you think social media has contributed to this “loss of innocence”?

Back then, when we started, we spent a lot of money on a press agent and organizing fashion shows in Paris to showcase our work to the world. The great advantage of social media is that you can be visible in an instant. They can be a great tool, and you can control them: you can easily manage what you post and at what pace. Another aspect that has changed over the years is the relationship between the brand and the end consumer, a blind trust that has definitely been lost. The customer would see the few pieces that buyers selected for them in stores, without realizing that there was a collection 20 times larger behind those garments. The end consumer never had the opportunity to see the entire collection. Now, through social media, everyone has access to fashion shows—literally everyone—and it’s as simple as searching for a piece on Google, clicking, and saying: “I want it.” But it happens that the store didn’t buy that particular piece, either because they couldn’t or because there wasn’t a budget to purchase the entire collection. So stores are stressed because they no longer know what to buy. Then there’s the issue of designers, which is another big problem for the entire industry. Senior designers sometimes struggle to find a place because brands hire junior designers or celebrities to create the collections. But every brand needs a cohesive effort to translate the story of a show into consistent garments. Today, we have the perception that fashion is just entertainment, but it’s not; fashion is about clothes.

What advice do you give your students?

At the end of the school year, I propose new ideas or adjustments for the coming year, (based on my observations of the year that came to an end and the feedback we got from the teachers.), to make the courses strong, coherent and keep them up to date. Together with Massimiliano (Giornetti) and the coordinator, we make the new programs. When the new school year starts I explain to the entire team of teachers the vision of the courses and which changes are made. Then from November, I come in when the programs are already underway to give my feedback and have an overview. It’s nice to work and create in a creative environment like Polimoda, because it’s like moving in a kind of bubble. I felt the same during my time at the Academy. It was my safe place. You have all the time and space to explore yourself, and you can learn so much from other students and teachers. It’s a constant exchange.

What advice do you give your students?

I advise the students not to do copy-paste, to find their own voice. As I said before, fashion is a language, and you need to learn to speak it, to express yourself, to understand how to arrive at a form, how form and body interact with each other. You need to absorb, absorb, absorb. And above all, you need to learn to see opportunities, especially those that are already crossing your path.

An Vandevorst

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