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.