A.F. Vandevorst (Q4294)
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- A F Vandevorst
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | A.F. Vandevorst |
No description defined |
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Statements
From their home base of Antwerp, An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx may be safely removed from fashion’s madding crowd, but that doesn’t keep them out of the loop. Far from it, in fact. This season, the married couple linked up with New York–based photographerSteven Sebring, whose multimedia studio contains a 360-degree camera rig, built for the creation of 3-D holographic fashion images (including an inauguralshootforVogue). “We had this idea of trying to do something that shows the movement in clothes, or how we can have the experience of a fashion show in another way,” Arickx said. “With this way of filming, we could achieve that same experience, and it’s even easy to share with people all over the world.”One month ago, Arickx arrived on the Lower East Side with their Fall 2019 collection and found a creative soul mate. “With Steven, it was like we’d worked together for years,” he said. “He is from the same generation,” Vandevorst added, “but we’re both still anxious to work with these new technologies and have this evolution.” At their Paris presentation, the designers projected a video lookbook of their models leaping and freezing in midair, the 360-camera spinning around them.To complement this dynamic footage, Vandevorst explained, they chose bright colors like chartreuse and violet that popped on-screen, working off a rough vision of a young American girl running around the countryside in her parents’ clothes. Think: a boxy blazer cut from bonded wool with invisible zippers up both arms to provide freedom of movement—“Papa’s suit coat,” Vandevorst called it. The high-waisted pleated skirts and long, wide-leg pants conveyed that same notion, as movement remained front of mind. Should the three choose to collaborate again next season, it will be fascinating to see what else might be best expressed in holographic form.
2 March 2019
An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx have been married and at the helm of their sustained, independent, and successful fashion brand for 20 years. Both of these partnerships are remarkable achievements and deserving of celebration. So last year the couple marked the 20th anniversary of their Antwerp-based company A.F. Vandevorst; and today, at their show in Milan, they reflected on matters more personal. The Spring/Summer collection began as a study of the “heritage of wedding dresses,” said An Vandevorst backstage, “the way mothers pass them down to daughters and on and on.” The couple has amassed a vast collection of vintage wedding gowns, which they have cut up, reworked, and completely mixed with T-shirts, hoodies, studded trousers, and thigh-high boots—the iconically tough and tender basics of their nomadic (yet still Belgian) hipster aesthetic. The nine or so total wedding looks in the show—from strapless with a back flange to an encrusted, hacked-off mini sheath—can be specially ordered, but the beadwork, lace, and satin will vary given the nuances of the vintage materials. Even the most commercial interpretations, which include a fabulous oversize white hoodie with lace inserts and embroidery, will have a one-off quality. It’s all overtly handcrafted and satiny and boldly embellished—rather unwittingly on-trend for Spring 2019!This is wonderful for the couple, who, for two decades—trends be damned—have stayed true to their vision of a woman who favors crisp tailoring, soft shirting, kinky lingerie, and thunderous footwear to go everywhere and anywhere at any hour. And that woman is well served by this collection. Her white silk wrap dress now has pearl-and-lace-adorned white trousers to match—or swap out the trousers for jeweled thigh-high boots, a fetish mask, and a lace veil, and it’s off to Vegas, baby! There are cool riffs on tuxedos as well, from cream trousers worn with flat, bowed mules to a double-breasted jacket with an exaggerated shoulder line (also a trend point for 2019) paired with a perfect black pant. The two prints in this collection are both graphic and slyly romantic (one is of wedding rings with safety pins, the other of bridal bouquets, fractured and stripped of color), and they appear on shell tops, skinny pants, floaty summer windbreakers, and ankle boots. Finally, there were bags on the runway today, a first for A.F. Vandevorst.
Their bride seems to be on the move, with carryalls, cross-bodies, and saddle purses galore in neatly utilitarian white, black, and steely blue at her disposal. Her boots may be bedazzled, but her bag means business, literally.
22 September 2018
To mark their 20th anniversary as a brand, An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx presented one look from each of their past 40 collections together, repositioning the actual archive pieces in the present by styling it afresh. The title, Always+Forever, expressed heart; the tone, signaled by heraldic flags being sliced through the air, expressed might.Out came the corset backed with a saddle from their very first collection; the trench from Spring 2004 made entirely of brown paper; the army green parachute silk dress from Spring 2015 with its pooling train; Spring 2016’s heavy metal sari accessorized with a motorcycle helmet; and, of course, the harness stacked with doves from just last year.Seen it all before? Sure, those who have followed the Belgian couple’s work would recognize the flashbacks—in part because they are mostly prone to making idiosyncratic statements outside of trend winds. But anyone viewing this collection for the first time with an eye turned toward a beautifully tailored backward morning coat or black bustier gown would conclude that their dramatic vision has held up well.“That’s where you get the difference between fashion and product,” said Arickx backstage. “You can keep these pieces and just reintegrate them.” The integration was aided by B. Åkerlund, who not only styled the looks but collaborated on a range of T-shirts that touch on key A.F. Vandevorst imagery including, of course, the signature red cross. “It was a match made in heaven,” he said, with Åkerlund likening herself to their baby. Her touch, in any case, was helpful; for such a special occasion, the looks didn’t take themselves too seriously.While the couple would rather you didn’t think of today’s effort in retrospective terms, the feeling was unavoidable thanks to their own messaging: a stylized stamp of the collection date somewhere on each look, plus the actual archive reference clipped on like an identity card. It was as though mannequins in an exhibition had been animated just long enough to remind us of two independent spirits still going strong.“When you tell 20 years of your life in 15 minutes, the emotions can feel quite compressed,” said Arickx. Meanwhile, the final look offered a clue to what lies ahead for the designers, if not their brand. The motorcycle suit reassembled into a decidedly high-octane dress coat seemed somewhat random until he confessed: “We both want to get our license.”
25 January 2018
Of all the special materials displayed in A.F. Vandevorst’s show as a guest member on this season’s haute couture schedule, the recurrence of reworked garbage bags seemed particularly noteworthy. But lest anyone detect a disrespectful provocation, An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx confirmed that their intention was precisely the opposite. “It’s about upgrading,” Vandevorst said. “The message was that you can use whatever as long as you’re working in a couture way.” And the way they formed the black plastic into a bodice and built it up into ruffled, tiered skirts, or else how it appeared as floral embroidery on a sweater, was pretty convincing. As in, whether or not the pieces end up being worn, the execution would have been the same had the material been lacquered organza or raffia. Moreover, by using local Antwerp garbage bags (the ones printed withrest,i.e., neither organic nor recyclable waste), A.F. Vandevorst was also acknowledging its home base, no matter whether the brand shows in Paris or, as it has most recently, London.But then what about the other materials—the second-skin black vinyl, yellow latex accents, and faux fur outerwear—which might imply that the collection was aiming for the right side of trashy? The interesting thing here is how A.F. Vandevorst integrated uniform references—from regiment braiding to nun’s habits—but turned them a bit wonky, so that stripes appeared out of line or a collar was composed of different parts. With a dress suit in faded animal-print jacquard and jackets in a jacquard that suggested layers of patina, the original concept swung downward; and yet, these pieces will likely have the widest appeal. The collection’s thrifty baroque mix was underscored by random strass embellishments and a digital print of collaged upholstery fabrics, which as tracksuit evening attire seemed both odd and uncharted for the label. However, reshuffle some of the looks, zero in on the footwear—especially the burnished military braid cowboy boots—and you end up with a solid Fall retail offering in stores soon enough.Lastly, Stephen Jones and his team imagined found objects as headpieces—pants as turbans, old medals arranged as bonnets, and unwieldy bags as veils. If couture-approximate bag ladies sound absurd, they ultimately packed a visual punch.
2 July 2017
ForA.F. Vandevorst’s Spring collection, An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx worked with artist Dirk Braeckman on a short film to bring their designs to life—departing from their usual runway show format. The clip, which features a trio of recalcitrant misfits ranging around the Belgian music festival Pukkelpop, opens with a voice-over of this verse from Tom Waits’s “First Kiss”: “She drove a big ol’ Lincoln with suicide doors and a sewing machine in the back.” Vandevorst explained: “It’s the story of a woman who, on the day of her marriage, decides not to get married. So she runs off with her friends and goes to a festival.” Liberation and rebellion as inspiration, at getaway speeds and with every last bit of caution thrown to the wind.Vandevorst and Arickx took, say, a corset, deconstructed it, and sewed it on the hip, at an angle, as if it was in the midst of being taken off. A men’s tuxedo jacket had zips at the waist, like that runaway bride had stolen it off the groom’s back, cut it up in haste, and slipped it back on for her jaunt to the fairgrounds. This A.F. Vandevorst scenario also offered plenty of great boots and negligee dresses that were sheared off from the pelvis in the front. “The thought is like the front of a shirt is tucked in, but the back is trailing,” said Vandevorst. Leave it to these two to put a new spin on the (now ubiquitous) termfestival dressing.
28 September 2016
On theA.F. Vandevorstrunway today (the brand has moved from Paris to London), a crew of videographers stalked the models, transmitting feeds to flat-screen TVs erected at the far end of the catwalk. Just prior, An Vandevorst, who runs the label with husband Filip Arickx, said, “Today’s collection is for a woman who wants to profit from every moment of the day.” Interesting, given the reality-TV tones of the cameramen’s gimmick—though instead ofKUWTKairbrushed polish, this was way more twisted. (Ultimately, the production didn’t quite sync with the clothes, but it provided some food for thought nonetheless.)“She doesn’t have time to go home, so she takes her closet with her,” continued Vandevorst. A full array of garments followed suit, and, much of the time, they were manipulated or layered to serve fresh (if odd) purposes. Denim (in the form of trousers, skirts, and jorts) was flipped around—butt pockets in front, flies down the back. It was kind of cool and will certainly resonate with jeans aficionadas. If trailing and side-bunched shirting felt too overdone, the show’s rhythm was rescued by a series of hyper-trendy hoodies near its end, highlights of which included a zebra-striped option and a heavy leather knockout worn over a black velvet maxi skirt. Platform knee-high boots and velvet-contoured booties were also solid. And while the influence ofVetementswas undeniable here, there were elevated parts—a step off the street, if you will—with tailored pieces by the Belgian-heritage house Scabal. “They’re the Savile Row of Brussels,” said Vandevorst with a smile. A single-button tuxedo dress, fastened at the hip, did indeed look fabulously dandy.
22 February 2016
You heard this collection coming long before you saw it: a gutsy roar that grew to a crescendo as the models rode around the block from backstage into the courtyard of the Faculté de Médecine Paris Descartes. They were riding pillion on a 25-strong lineup of muscle bikes—Harleys and Triumphs. This was because, asAn Vandevorstexplained pre-show: “It’s a road trip by a woman who lives in the East and has traveled to the West.” Hence the mirrored Indian beading of lean biker-touched separates and fabulous goth-influenced saris, and the silver-shot Chinese brocade on cheongsam-biker hybrids. None of these souvenir details was especially literal; a studded, textured, and collarless burgundy jacket looked Chanel-meets-Mongolia (via Antwerp) and made a fine cupola to the elaborately tented blue plissé skirt below.Vandevorst tics—frogging, tailoring, leanness, sculpted volume for effect—recurred, most strongly on a set of white looks near the finale that achieved malleable stiffness and an otherworldly glow thanks to the aluminum shot through the fabrics. Also starring here was a pedal-to-the-metal judo suit. Crocheted face masks with sequined lips were de-sinisterized balaclavas, and the footwear, naturally, was all biker boots—although sometimes it featured high heels. Road signs were enlarged and broken up into the print used on one long, flowing coat worn tied around the waist by its sleeves—and once the show was done, the bikers outside willfully ignored local traffic regulations and roared off en masse. One of them broke down, but that was the only glitch in this delightful little riot of a collection.
1 October 2015
Where to start? Probably in Peru, where An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx traveled recently and became inspired as much by condors, folklore, traditional dress, and ponchos as they were by their time hanging out with Mario Testino in his museum there. Back at home, they began Vandevorst-izing this new ammunition. "In our Belgian way, we took out all the colors," An said backstage. Rose floral jacquard, patterned Quechua weaving motifs, layered Andean skirts, and Spanish colonial frill were thus all made monochrome—shades of grayed. Stephen Jones' hats were condor perches or fedoras. The silhouettes were long, lean, and brooding—made longer and leaner by viciously heeled boots—or slouchy yet sinuous.But what about those protective face masks? Unless they're worn during the processing of Peru's most notorious export, they did not seem a detail particularly evocative of the country. The answer rested with Joris Van de Moortel, an artist recruited by A.F. Vandevorst to further desaturate their desaturated collection at today's presentation. Held at the Belgian ambassador to France's residence, this was a chaotic affair where guests were offered their own face masks—and protective onesies, too—when they arrived. As the models emerged from behind a screen of the plastic sheeting that swathed the entire interior, Van de Moortel sprayed them, and the excellent band playing alongside him, with white paint from an industrial spray gun. It was great, deranged fun. Special props to the ambassador, Patrick Vercauteren Drubbel, for his commitment to the dissemination of avant-garde Belgian lunacy.
5 March 2015
Today's A.F. Vandevorst show was an interesting mix of poetry and prose. An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx had come up with a story, about a female pilot flying around the world who parachutes into terra incognita and begins exploring. Which is to say, Vandevorst and Arickx were riffing on parachutes and flight suits, a theme sledgehammered home by the rather extraordinary opening gown of what looked like parachute silk, with a train nearly the length of the runway. That was poetry; so too, the dresses and jackets of cotton/aluminum, which were sculpted to look fiercely windblown. Not particularly realistic for everyday wear, those clothes, but they had genuine expressive force. And anyway, there was plenty of prosaic stuff here, like the attractive silk separates in a feather print, or jumpsuits and jackets with interior backpack straps, an idea that's time has surely come. Some of the jumpsuits hit the flight theme too hard, but in general, the "prose" looks here had a pleasing matter-of-factness. A tailored vest in the feather print, paired with matching flared pants, was one look here that popped; the dresses with specially distressed pleats likewise transcended the mundane, without entering into the region of total fancy. Which is to say, this was a better outing than we've seen from this brand in a while. Much like their imaginary pilot, this season Vandevorst and Arickx were—depending how you see it—either forging their way forward or finding their way back.
26 September 2014
Have An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx run out of ideas? The model who walked out wearing A.F. Vandevorst's logo glued to her bare chest certainly seemed to suggest that they have. That look was the definite low point in their show tonight. It's not easy for a small brand like theirs to maintain momentum, but grasping at a trend like logomania, even if Stephen Jones signs on to assist (the milliner made the show's felted baseball caps), seems like the wrong way to go about it. Vandevorst and Arickx still cut a good-looking suit. The best one here was a medley of different textures: nubby wool, crushed velvet, and jacquard. Softly tailored pieces like a silk tunic with cargo pockets and flowing pants looked fierce with over-the-knee leather boots. Better to focus their energies on bankable clothes like that next season.
27 February 2014