Kris Van Assche

[Astrid21]

Ex Slimane Assistant Van Assche to Make Paris Runway Debut

By Godfrey Deeny

December 22, 2004 @ 12:53 AM - Paris The latest designer to throw his hat into the Paris fashion ring is Kris Van Assche, a 28-year-old Belgian and the latest in a lengthy talent list to have emerged from Antwerp’s famed Royal Academy.

Van Assche will stage his maiden collection on Saturday, January 29 at 3.30 PM in Espace Commines, the show space favored for many years by Helmut Lang, during the upcoming Paris men's season.

Shortly after Van Assche presented an acclaimed graduation collection at Antwerp's fashion school in 1999, Hedi Slimane hand picked him to be his first assistant in the men’s division of Yves Saint Laurent. In July 2000, Van Assche followed Slimane into his new career as creative director of Dior Homme.

Van Assche has already put in place an experienced team at his house. He nabbed an experienced commercial director Frank Sanchez, an executive who has done stints at Dirk Schönberger, John Galliano Homme, Y-3 by Yohji Yamamoto and Dior Homme. Plus, Van Assche also signed up with the Paris office of KCD, the single most influential PR firm in the fashion firmament.

Nonetheless, the fledgling designer remains a largely unknown talent, even if his website does exude a Slimanesque obsession with tiny lettering.

Considering I love all the people he has worked under (except Galliano Homme), I'm eager to see his S|S collection. Plus, he's not bad on the eyes.

 

[maarit]

exciting! thanks for posting!

 

[softgrey]

thanks for the info astrid...
seems like he's got some serious financial backing...and it looks like he's got all the ingredients for success...and i will definitely watching to se what he comes up with...

sounds like a winner...

how many of hedi's ex-asst's now have their own collections?...

 

[Lena]

Taralis is another x-slimaine assistant with own line out softie

thanks for bringing this in astrid, a new name to watch out for

 

[softgrey]

and i think there is someone else...too...
i think this makes three....

seems like hedi is the new ysl or christian dior of menswear...
training new talent...

there's something about that that appeals to me somehow...

thanks for the info lena...does anyone else know of another...i remember an article about it not too long ago...hmmm...can't remember now...

 

[ignitioned32]

I don't remember either, softgrey.

Thanks for posting, Astrid. He'll definetly be one to watch given his resume.

 

[Spacemiu]

Sounds intresting

 

[saartje]

Does anyone know where you can see some photo's of the first show of Kris?

 

[Scott]

I don't remember him for some reason? Are you sure they got the graduation date right? I think he graduated in '98 not 99 because I remember all those talents of that year.

Anyway,would be interesting to see what he does. Not sure where they would have covered it as he is indeed still unknown for the moment.

 

[raimund]

and i think there is someone else...too...
i think this makes three....

seems like hedi is the new ysl or christian dior of menswear...
training new talent...

there's something about that that appeals to me somehow...

thanks for the info lena...does anyone else know of another...i remember an article about it not too long ago...hmmm...can't remember now...

Is Marjolijn van den Heuvel another? The time when Gilles Rosier worked at Dior should much precede the rebranding of Dior menswear into Dior Homme, but I'm really .

Raimund

 

[marrimoda]

i'd like to see!

 

[Scott]

Yeah,Marjolijn was at YSL at one point. But it wasn't menswear it was the mainline for women just before Tom Ford came in. Then she left and went to train at Martin Margiela.

 

[raimund]

Yeah,Marjolijn was at YSL at one point. But it wasn't menswear it was the mainline for women just before Tom Ford came in. Then she left and went to train at Martin Margiela.

Thanks for your information. Ahhh, is it Martijn Bal, the creative director of the rebranded Verri Uomo?

Raimund

 

[ionn26]

Hmm.. I am sooooo curious to see what he is like!!!

Seems that may be 'behind every great man is a smart wife'. May be these 4 talents are the REAL designers for Dior Homme. Since they are all gone.. DH is doing BAD BAD BAD!!!!

I would love to see Assche's work!!!! Another Belgium designer... TRULY amazing...

Not to mention he is such a cutie!Blol:

 

[Incroyable]

Diane Pernet has some shots of it on her site.

 

[raimund]

Diane Pernet has some shots of it on her site.

Thanks, Incroyable. I may have missed some of the blogs as I could only see one runway photo, as well as a shot of van Assche. Can't wait to see more. B)

Raimund

 

[raimund]

Taralis is another x-slimaine assistant with own line out softie

thanks for bringing this in astrid, a new name to watch out for

It's a pity that Taralis is doing only womenswear at the moment. (Sorry, I'm not technically skilful enough to separate the photo from the two web images).


Source: Good Jeans (Hint Magazine, November 2004)

http://www.hintmag.com/shoptart/nov04/shoptart1.php

[font=Arial,sans-serif][size=-1]The Dior Homme diaspora has begun. Having closely assisted Hedi Slimane since the launch of Dior Homme three years ago, Nicolas Andreas Taralis, 29, has branched out on his own with a small women's collection that bears more than a few fruits of his previous labor. "The idea was to start with an extremely simple and precise aesthetic. Onto that I added an element of delicacy and hand-work," he says, referring to the wad of beading, spangles and military-style straps adorning the coats and pants of the mostly black-and-white capsule fall collection. In another shared trait with Taralis's former employer, the line is influenced by "an interest in gothic, pop and rock music," but it's denim that holds the most sway over the Canadian native. "Along with a moleskin coat," he reveals, "I think a good pair of old jeans is the most important piece in any wardrobe. I like the fact that it can really live and grow old with you and still look great, even after fifteen years. If you wear it that long, it's seen almost everything happen in your life: joy, sadness, love. It's probably the most intimate piece of clothing ever created." Available in Tokyo at Celux and in New York at Barneys (January).[/size][/font]

 

[saartje]

Dear Scott, your right!
Kris graduated in'98. You can check it on his page: www.krisvanassche.com.
And i found a picture of his show on www.linternate.com when i was searching on www.yahoo.com

 

[nqth]

Thanks for the art and the website:-)
Here is Suzy Menkes about him

Van Assche, at his first solo show, produced a subtle mix of sportswear and tailoring and did his best to get out of Hedi Slimane's shadow, after working with the designer at YSL and Dior. The models were grown men - even elderly - wearing jaunty hats above trim coats, worn casually over the shoulders, with three-piece suits, the pants tailored to a low crotch. White sneakers added a sporty touch that was emphasized by overalls and by leather jackets with padded ribs. The designer summed up the current mood by saying: "I wanted it to be very masculine - to make creative clothes that are not fancy or girlie."

He showed at "Lang's space".

 

[Scott]

Thanks saartje. I kind of remember now reading about him as part of the class of '98. Same year as Bernhard and Marjolijn,actually.