RVDK Ronald van der Kemp Couture Spring 2024
For this couture collection marking his brand’s 10th anniversary year, Ronald van der Kemp had one inspiration. “It’s really about the art of sustainability — literally,” he said. “It’s very arty, about realness and rawness.”
In Amsterdam, he had attended the opening of Nan Goldin’s exhibition “This Will Not End Well,” where she discussed two existential threats: climate crisis and AI.
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“I was really touched by that exhibition,” said van der Kemp. “It became a guideline. The world is in such chaos, and there’s such a disconnect with reality sometimes in fashion.”
So he decided to craft a highly intuitive collection.
“It has a very punk feeling, versus a perfection feeling,” van der Kemp said. “It’s basically: ‘Put down your phone, look at the person in front of you and feel empathy.’”
His lineup for spring included traditional couture as well as more otherworldly pieces — all with his deft tailoring.
“The Dutch National Bank I found out cuts money that has been misprinted, so I got two bags of [that]. It was quite difficult to make it into something textile, but I used it as pockets on a golden jacket,” he said.
The show opener was a sculptural dress created with papier-maché and gold-leaf finishing. It had an asymmetric bustier and geometric shapes protruded from the skirt.
Van der Kemp fashioned a colorful patchwork gown from assembled, repainted upcycled canvas paintings, which was to be framed after the show. A wafting pink dress was made from couture remnants and an upcycled silk mousseline ball skirt.
“It’s a bit chaotic — which I love to do anyway — but even more so,” van der Kemp said of this collection. “Because I think that’s what the world is about now.”
He added: “What I hope is that people really see the fun and the passion that I have for fashion in this. 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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Launch Gallery: RVDK Ronald van der Kemp Couture Spring 2024
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