Biennale Interieur, a bi-annual contemporary design trade show, was established in 1968 and to celebrate its 23rd edition, the Biennale Interieur board launched a competition called ‘Dress the Host(ess)’ in collaboration with the Flanders Fashion Institute.
The Flanders Fashion Institute is a platform for emerging talent, and as part of this fashion designers were given a brief to produce an uniform for the host/ess at the tradeshow.
After stiff competition from lots of young accomplished designers, the winner was Damien Fredriksen Ravn an Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts alumni. Previous winners have included the likes of Walter Van Beirendonck and Issey Miyake. He's certainly in fine company.
The designer, when explaining his inspiration and style, says he is most inspired by “minimalist maximalism”. A concept which he very successfully carried through to the end product.
To accompany the uniform he used Underground England's single sole black suede Wulfrun creepers.
Underground collaborated with the designer once again for his his SS13 collection, using a pair of silver triple sole creepers.
The designer started making a splash about 2009, but in those 4 shorts years he's come on leaps and bounds, and his SS13 collection seems to be the beginning of him really finding his voice.
It's little surprise he cites Nicolas Ghesquiere as an inspiration. His use of high tech materials, such as digitally printed breathable 3D 'spacer' neoprene, metallic coated polyurethane and black coated jersey, definitely have the sort of retrofuturism Ghesquiere would be proud of.
I would love the opportunity to touch some these pieces as I can only imagine at the moment what they feel like. Hopefully, next time I'm in London I'll find somewhere where I can have a good poke at them
Damien only has a Tumblr at moment, but I believe a proper site will be coming soon.
Queen Michelle
Queen Michelle
