Designer Ronald van der Kemp celebrates the 10th anniversary of his brand with the launch of Spring Summer 2024 Couture collection, named “Wardrobe 19,” that epitomizes new ethics in luxury fashion. Since 2014, van der Kemp has been at the forefront of sustainable fashion, transforming what is left and considered unusable into unique, luxurious pieces through techniques like collaging, hand painting, quilting, appliqueing, and more. His approach combines imagination with resourcefulness, as seen in the runway show, where he transformed reproductions of Old Master paintings and deadstock materials into exquisite fashion pieces.
The latest collection, marks the designer’s dedication to the art of sustainability. It captures realness and rawness, with a distinct punk feeling as opposed to perfection. It’s a call for people to engage with the world and each other empathetically. Van der Kemp embraces the chaos in his collection, mirroring the state of the world. His aim is to ignite passion and fun in fashion, urging people to be conscious and follow his lead in sustainable luxury fashion.
One of the collection’s highlights is a golden jacket with pockets made from misprinted money obtained from the Dutch National Bank. Van der Kemp’s ingenuity is also showcased in a colorful patchwork gown made from repainted upcycled canvas paintings and a pink dress crafted from couture remnants and upcycled silk mousseline.
The designer’s next step involves launching a foundation in Amsterdam, focusing on sustainability and new ethics in fashion. This foundation aims to collaborate with scientists, philosophers, artists, and free thinkers, much like Andy Warhol’s factory, but with a focus on sustainability.
