Beginning as a low-key preview (timed to hit stores months before the catwalk collection), the concept of a Pre-Fall collection has morphed into its own phenomenon – prompting designers to conceive unconventional lookbook images, pre-empt the new faces for the coming season, and secure interest in their main catwalk offering just two months later.

Following in the footsteps of the womenswear market, Dior Homme has unveiled a concisely-edited capsule collection for 2012, leading the recent surge of menswear labels who have adopted this mid-season trend. Kris Van Assche has honed the label’s keystone offerings and made them his own, adding lightness and fluid volume to sportwear and tailoring. Interpreting classic wardrobe staples like the zip blouson, the trench, the macintosh and the white chemise, Van Assche lends a sense of unfinished elegance – whether it be the selvedge edge along a blazer lapel or precise leather inserts adding quiet luxury to a raglan-sleeved coat. A white cotton t-shirt finished with shirt sleeves epitomises the designer’s grasp of simple sophistication in menswear.

Experience the collection images featuring Timothy Kelleher and Caleb Trent by Julia Hetta below.

www.diorhomme.com

As though documenting the candid musings of two old friends who reconnect in a familiar café, Dutch director Joost Vandebrug has captured a sense of melancholy in his new film for the designer Kris Van Assche. On the occasion of the Spring Summer 2012 collection, this short film entitled ‘A Moment in Time’ follows a conversation about past and present, about the preoccupations of self and ego – how lives drift apart, and how that’s OK. How mutual memories between friends form a collective history, connecting people with places, sensations and emotions.

The two philosophical characters (played by Clemens Chick and Jerome Ribiero) have clearly incongruous accents, and are both returning to a place they once lived, yet never necessarily belonged to. Their garments further exemplify the atemporal nature of their situation – classical but not stiff, casual yet with an air of elegance. These are men whose paths crossed for the better, who have impacted upon one another’s lives, yet who move forward as friends without commitment –  content in the knowledge that neither holds expectations for the future.

www.krisvanassche.com

In collaboration with Wallpaper* Magazine and the esteemed Swiss watchmakers Maurice Lacroix, A#7′s Kris Van Assche has created a unique timepiece for auction throughout the month of June, with proceeds going to UNICEF Japan. Van Assche’s one-of-a-kind edition of the ‘Pontos Décentrique GMT’ is entitled ‘Rough Conviction’, and features yellow gold-plating with hand-painted detailing and rhodium hands – mounted on a stainless steel bracelet that merges into a calfskin strap.

Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola and Italian industrial designer Rodolfo Dordoni have also created one-off pieces for this admirable initiative, now in it’s second year (Arik Levy, Neil Barrett and Gwenaël Nicolas participated in 2010). All three watches were displayed at the BaselWorld Watch & Jewelery show in March, and are now on live auction at Antiquorum Auctioneers until June 22nd.

“Doing a watch is quite interesting because it’s such a symbol. So I thought it was kind of a challenge. I knew it was going to be well made – and if you’re going to make a watch, it had better be well made.” – Kris Van Assche.

www.mauricelacroix.com
www.wallpaper.com

Kris Van Assche has turned an about face at the helm of Dior Homme – breathing a light, poetic air into the house’s starched formality. Honing this fresh approach to menswear through a raw, youthful lens is fellow Belgian Willy Vanderperre, who has developed the special project ‘The time I had some time alone’ with Kris Van Assche as an exciting inauguration to Dior Homme’s new generation media strategy.

Featuring Danish model Victor Nylander writhing atop sisal matting in deconstructed suiting looks from the Spring Summer 2011 season, the short video cuts severely through raw urban atmospheres, scenes of Victor bouncing a basketball or a birds eye view on a skateboard.

The contrast of raw finishes and polished silhouettes within Dior Homme’s aesthetic is artfully reflected by Vanderperre, both through the choice of sombre environments and the casting of the house’s pale, Nordic heir to the campaign engaging in such All-American pursuits as basketball and skating. Vanderperre’s idealised vision of youth culture and masculinity that carries through his work with Raf Simons is inherent throughout the film.

‘The time I had some time alone’ film and series of eight photographs has been offered by Dior for download and distribution via blogs and the fashion websites of selected media, for a viral effect that will be echoed in a series of selected print media insertions from January 17th, 2011.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QH2R70Fn58[/youtube]

For his Spring Summer 2011 show, Kris Van Assche had his runway constructed in the centre of the Halle Freysinnet’s immense hangar, dwarfed within the concrete and steel space on the docks of Paris. This relic of industry now hosts a rally of cultural events every year, however it was the labored past that linked beautifully with Kris’s show – a grounded ode to blue collar workers translated with a monochrome polish.

It seems Mr. Van Assche has truly hit his stride, mingling his worlds at Dior Homme and his own label to powerful effect – allowing double impact of his seasonal inspirations to flow through each collection with respect to their individual traditions. This time around the location was the same yet the feeling rather different, Dior’s enormous light cylinder absent and replaced by a simple white paper backdrop, rolled from a frame down the straight runway.

Backstage, the boys mingled around with their dressers, hair and makeup teams taking extra care of their hands – blackened with makeup reminiscent of coal dust. Though hardly dressing miners, Kris threaded his looks with a sophisticated interpretation of workwear details including leather and cotton apron belts, ropes and hanging keychains, and heavy work boots with canvas trims.

The garments themselves possessed a comfortable quality that betrayed their luxurious fabric and finish, with jackets belted at the hip and trousers slung low and loose. Cotton jersey tops were cut like tunics or oversized t-shirts, accentuating a broad shoulder and layered in the sleeves. Some looks were styled like coveralls, with mid-sleeve shirts tucked into trousers or even attached as jumpsuits.

A more formal story played with sheer stripes and a lustrous dark denim, and leather pieces held a rich, oiled shine. All silhouettes remained in Kris’s strict palette of black, white, icy grey and beige, with the final outings offering a rare foray into abstract pattern – with splattered paint across slim trousers, a macintosh coat and raglan sweaters. It seems his miners hit oil.

Set to the soundtrack of Trentemoller’s “Silver Surfer, Ghost Rider GO!”, Kris kept the high-energy ambience to his show with this surf-rock track of snare drums and jangling guitars setting the pace for a fast, confident walk. A walk that he deserves himself, as he continues to drill his way through the fashion fold to divine his own niche in Paris’ menswear calendar.

Above image by Patrice Stable.

Above image by Patrice Stable.

Above image by Patrice Stable.

Like a glorious pillar of light the central white monument of Kris Van Assche’s Dior Homme show for Spring Summer 2011 stood alone in the cavernous expanse of the Halle Freyssinet yesterday, beckoning guests from afar with a totemic gravity. After iced tea and pleasantries, all were seated around it’s perimeter and the plastic shields rolled away from the freshly painted runway.

The models began their walk from inside the cylindrical frame as faint silhouettes against the fabric, emerging one by one into the blinding white arena. Returning to the key motifs of the past two seasons, Kris updated the robed coats and sleeveless tunics of his recent oeuvre into light, flowing fabrics that draped and cut away from the body. Again dressed in a pure palette of black, white, icy grey and beige the Dior Homme man truly transcended geography -with Kris’s influence of North African robes equally as evident as the traditions of Dior tailoring, and the predominantly South American casting now scattered with Eurasian blood.

Entitled “Lessness”, the collection spoke little of the tricky technique and embellishment that has marked Kris’ earlier work – it spoke a more simple poetry of motion and emotion. Patch-pockets and epaulettes were a common thread through gilets and trenches – rendered in suede, heavy cotton and fine wools. Outerwear hung long and loose, squaring off a strong shoulder, often with contrast piping that floated inside linings or highlighted collars and lapels. A knit cummerbund was slung around the hips of several looks, splitting the silhouette with a casual, luxe formality. And the shoes held their own lightness, with a trompe l’oeil effect hiding a canvas boot caged (like a sock) under a laced gladiator sandal.

Kris Van Assche has set a new benchmark of late, with his razor sharp execution and emotional minimalism igniting a sophisticated new ideology at Dior. This season proves a steady evolution, one that has potential to rise much further – for a new romance that bridges classic French codes and Belgian darkness with the savoir-faire of a world traveller.

Via Nowness.com, we present a new fashion film for Kris Van Assche’s Dior Homme Fall Winter 2010 collection.

The short piece is directed by Sharif Hamza and styled by Dazed & Confused’s Robbie Spencer, and takes place in a stark corridor space, with a white panelled ceiling and mysterious dark doorway. Models walk a solemn procession through the bright passage, offering dark glances that seem both solemn and sensual – coupled with a sense of urgency. The fluid layers of the garments undulate as the boys march the corridor, with the luxurious cashmere, polished cotton and raw-edge silks of coats, shirts and ties providing textural nuances that appear rich against the cold backdrop. Watch the video here:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjLhGwNOP6k[/youtube]

Read the interview with Kris below, as he discusses the collection and the balance of managing two labels:

Nowness: What were your inspirations for fall 2010?

Kris Van Assche: The first thing that I told my team at the beginning of September was that I wanted to make military coats, but I wanted them to be very light. Usually when you find these old coats they are so stiff they can stand up by themselves. I wanted them to be comfortable and soft, in between a military blanket and a coat. It’s this idea of comfort clothing.

N: How does comfort square with military uniform though?

KVA: For me military influences are always in the back of my head because I want the result to be masculine. Obviously I’m working on a luxury product and I want to use these great materials, but I’m not really into the trashy mood of fashion, it’s not my thing. It should never look pretentious or precious. My influences come from very different directions. I was in India in August and that’s where the collection’s color palette came from. All the men there wear these really toned-down, dusty colors so the idea of wearing a coat as a blanket is linked directly to India. But when you get closer to a show it is important that you get away from the initial inspiration, in case you make it look too historical.

N: There’s a really strong narrative between your spring and fall collections. Were you consciously evolving the aesthetic from last season?

KVA: Well, last spring for me was a turning point. I found a collection that feels right for me at Dior and for fashion today. But I was very scared about the reaction because it was personal and it wasn’t exactly what the house was expecting. But their reactions were really good and it encouraged me to do winter with that same idea of comfort, luxury, simplicity and detailing. It’s something I am very much at ease with. Much more so than with sequins!

N: Where do you draw the line between your work for Kris Van Assche and your work for Dior?

KVA: From day one it was clear to me that at Dior we have an in-house atelier, and I should benefit from working with an atelier of luxury and craftsmanship––something I obviously don’t have with my personal team. At the beginning [Dior] was much more theatrical than me, much more than how it’s ended up being now. Now it’s become a Belgian view on luxury, whereas my label is a Belgian view on creativity. Both of them can cohabit now.

N: What is your take on Dior as a larger entity—are you ever inspired by the women’s collections?

KVA: Dior Homme is totally separate from the women’s. We’re even in different buildings. It’s been like this since day one and it is also the strength of the house.

N: You created an art zine last year, Londerzeel. Are you planning any more exhibitions or art publications?

KVA: Not in the near future. What I enjoyed so much about Londerzeel was that it made me meet really interesting people. But at one point I was creating six collections a year as well as an artistic exhibition. I mean, that together with the economic crisis… it was too much. When there’s something interesting coming along then we go for it. I had a photo project withSarah Moon [for Dior Homme] that I really enjoyed. And that’s obviously something I will continue to do.

N: Do you have a favorite artist at the moment?

KVA: There is Andrea Mastrovito, an Italian artist who I worked with on my tiny little campaign for my own label. He is the most poetic person I’ve ever met in my whole life. I like [photographer] Jeff Burton a lot. I’m always looking for those kinds of people.

N: Is there a muse or celebrity that sums up Dior Homme fall 2010?

KVA: Some people have these big muses, but I don’t. But I really would love to dress Johnny Depp, if I had to choose one. That’s probably more because he’s not into fashion––[it would be] a huge challenge and I really like his universe. But I don’t have pictures of one person hanging up on my inspiration board. Each time I work on a piece, whether it be from Dior or my own label, I always imagine someone in it––it can be me, it can be a person in my team, it can be an 18-year-old or a 45-year-old.

N: What are your wardrobe staples for spring?

KVA: I’m actually quite happy in the Dior spring collection. The unfinished borders, the raw seams, I’m wearing quite a lot of those. I mix them up with my own label. It’s really a point where I’m at ease with both of them so I don’t think about them anymore.

Both video and interview from Nowness.com

For the 7th installment of The Early Days series, we present the dual roles of Kris Van Assche, as a designer in his own right for his eponymous label, and as the creative director at Dior Homme.

Kris was invited to curate A#7 at a pivotal time in his career, as he took the helm of Dior Homme in 2007. Having taken this significant role, he chose to interpret and realise the masculine vision of the house of Dior – with all it’s tradition, codes and signatures – as well as continuing to develop his own label. It is inevitable that the two cross aesthetic paths at times, but it is the ability to uphold the two separate worlds simultaneously that warrants merit.

For Kris’s first solo collection for Fall Winter 2005, he explored the concept of the three-piece suit, and how it could fit with a more relaxed mens wardrobe – teaming his artfully-panelled suits with sneakers and casual checked shirts. With the theme of a ‘working man’, Kris adapted the traditional formality of a suit to a modern setting, and for the finale sent out rather unconventional models to demonstrate this – with three 50+ gentlemen wearing his designs.

In his Dior Homme debut for Spring Summer 2008, this relaxed vibe was not so evident in the garments – rather in the intimate salon setting that he chose to show his first capsule for the house. The showing consisted of a small press presentation in Paris, with models posing in crisp formal looks beneath crystal chandeliers. The collection was a study in the basics and fundamentals that underpin the house, with Kris’s eye for detail and construction showcased in white shirting, voluminous pleated trousers and sombre, slim suiting.

It wasn’t until a season after that Kris truly flexed his creative muscle at Dior, having a full time frame to realise the Fall Winter 08-09 collection. This first runway collection was a poetically dark affair – with a sheen and lustre to both formal and sportswear pieces, rendering them instantly luxurious. Butterfly accessories were worn as bowties and pinned across suit jackets, and the pleated trousers of the season before returned in both satin and leather variations. Models seemed vampiric with their gelled flat hair and ghostly white makeup, descending upon the crowd in a dramatic finale of white dinner shirts.

Although not as far in the distant past as some of our other curators first shows, it is still an insightful study to place Kris’s work in a temporal context, to see the progress of his vision for both labels, from the beginning to his latest work for Fall Winter 2010. Always playing classics with an edgy twist, he continues to define a wardrobe for an assuredly masculine, modern gentleman.

Above: Dior Homme Spring Summer 2008 presentation, photographed by Gaëtan Bernard.

Above: Dior Homme by Kris Van Assche Fall Winter 2008-2009 photographed by Patrice Stable.

All images courtesy of Dior Homme & Kris Van Assche. Rights reserved.

Kris Van Assche has once  again proven the strength and depth of his artistic vision, this time in Paris where he has exhibited the ‘Picaflor’ exhibition in the Galerie des Galeries – the art, fashion and design space of the Galerie Lafayette – in association with the International Fashion and Photography Festival of Hyères and curated by gallerist (and A BLOG contributor) Barbara Polla.

Utilising this brilliantly stark white space, Kris has installed his geometric metal flowers standing in small groups around the room, allowing viewers to wander around and peer into their dark centres to discover various video moments following his inspirations and creations. From our very own cover of A#7 to images from Kris’ inspiration folios, the video screens are a glimpse into his world and a poetic metaphor – humans becoming hummingbirds, dipping inside the flower to receive nectar. One screen is linked with a video camera mounted alongside, allowing the viewer to see his or herself from a side-on perspective inside the flower – a strange and voyeuristic personal encounter.

Alongside Kris’s flowers, Berlin-based artist Matt Saunders has created a series of portraits rendered as ink drawings on film negative paper, based on photographs of Kris’s female models backstage at his Spring Summer 2009 show. The effect is moody and surrealist, like bizarre mugshots taken through stained glass. Lined along the far  right wall, the artworks add gravity and depth to the dazzlingly bright gallery (that feels almost like a studio space), and are an avantgarde expression of beauty – entirely stripping away the detail of any fashion context and allowing the viewer to connect only with this hazy image of a beautiful girl.

Another example of Matt’s work is the larger piece below, of a garment rack after one of Kris’s shows with each piece wrapped and giving a surgical, sanitised feeling – again an interesting observation from an artist looking into the fashion world with a different perspective.

At the opening night of the exhibition, guests were invited to preview the works in the company of the designer and artist and all involved, with the Dior team out in full force to celebrate (following their menswear show days before).

The exhibition is a brief encounter with Kris’s world and manages to reveal a lot – but through a very small lens. Many of the elements are pieces of a puzzle that all fit together in A#7, further elaborated on in Londerzeel, Kris’s own magazine of which the second edition was also launched on the night.

If you are in Paris before February 27th, we strongly suggest a visit to see Picaflor for yourself.

The Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy was transformed into a blacked out amphitheatre for the Dior Homme show on Saturday afternoon, its floor a gravel pit encircled and intersected by an inlaid wooden runway. A harsh contrast to last season’s bright, airy setting in the Carreau du Temple, the Fall Winter 2010 presentation was blanketed in a bleak darkness, with an industrial “halo” of Thierry Dreyfus‘s lighting rigs looming above the arena.

Entitled “Coal”, the show was an inspired study of the monochrome, and Kris Van Assche worked in total looks of black, ecru, grey marle and charcoal. On a base of crisp collared shirting and cuffed trousers in either pleated volumes or straight legs, Kris showed an extensive range of luxurious jackets and coats in many different shapes but unified in their cashmere, leather and wool fabrications with a languid fluidity.

Peak collared trenches and pea coats ended with unexpectedly pointed hems, blazers wrapped around the chest and continued into scarves, and a dinner jacket was given a third lapel in contrasting fabric. Self-striped silks and cottons created a textural highlight in more formal pieces, and flashes of silver came stitched into shoulder seams, on tie stripes and from long zippers on hooded coats and blousons.

Almost bare of accessories, the looks were worn with a low dress shoe, sometimes laced with a monkstrap over, and several floor-length coats swept aside at the waist to reveal a leather bag hooked to a belt loop (seemingly keeping a Bible safe).

Choosing Parisian technicians Mode F to develop his soundtrack for both the Dior and Kris Van Assche shows this season, Kris was able to engage personally in the process through their intuitive methods, to create the pulsing power beats of both his shows (listen in the video below). Odile Gilbert gave the models messy, textured hair – adding a boyish charm to the heavy, masculine collection – and Aaron de Mey delivered with clean, simple Dior makeup.

Taking the helm in the wake of a revolution at Dior, Kris has proven himself – creating the world of an intelligent and contemporary gentleman – a modern traveller. The slick production was a testament to the house and to Kris’s ongoing realisation of their vision, subverting their classic codes to redeliver fashionable, elegant garments in unexpected, luxurious ways.

Show Details:

MUSIC: MODE F

PRODUCTION: EYESIGHT

HAIR: Odile Gilbert

MAKEUP: Aaron de Mey